THE NANOWORLD

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
 Define nanotechnology;
 Characterize nanoscale.
 Describe the various uses of nanotechnology.
 Discuss concerns on the use of nanotechnology; and
 Explain the status of the use of nanotechnology in the Philippines.

INTRODUCTION:
Scientific researchers have developed new technological tools that greatly improve
different aspects of our lives. The use of nanoscale is one important interdisciplinary area
generated by advancements in science and technology. Scientists and engineers were able to
build materials with innovative properties as they manipulate nanomaterials. Indeed, research
and application of knowledge on nanomaterials will continue to bring widespread implications
in various areas of society, especially health care, environment, energy, food, water, and
agriculture.
Nanotechnology refers to the science, engineering, and technology conducted at the
nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers (NNI, 2017). Nanoscience and nanotechnology
employ the study and application of exceptionally small things in other areas of science
including science, engineering, physics, biology, and chemistry. (NNI, 2017)
The concepts of nanotechnology and nanoscience started on December 29, 1959,
when Physicist Richard Feynman discussed a method in which scientists can direct and
control individual atoms and molecules in his talk “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”
during the American Physical Society meeting at the California Institute of Technology. The
term “nanotechnology” was coined by Professor Norio Taniguchi a decade after the dawn
of the use of ultraprecision machining. (NNI, 2017)

LESSON PROPER

How small is the Nanoscale?

 A nanometer is a billionth of a meter (109).

The illustration below shows how small the Nanoscale is compared to other particles or
materials.

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Manipulation of nanomaterials needs an adept understanding of their types and dimensions.
The various types of nanomaterials are classified according to their shapes and sizes.
They may be particles, tubes, wires, films, flakes, or shells that have one or more nanometer-
sized dimensions. One should be able to view and manipulate them so that we can take
advantage of their exceptional characteristics.

HOW TO VIEW NANOMATERIALS?

Scientists use special types of microscopes to view minute (Minutes is the Latin word
for "small," and it gave rise to both the adjective minute (my-NOOT), or incredibly small)
nanomaterials. During the early 1930s, scientists used electron microscopes and field
microscopes to look at the nanoscale. The scanning tunneling microscope and atomic force
microscope are just among the modern and remarkable advancements in microscopy.

1. Electron microscope

German engineers Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll built the first electron microscope
during the 1930s. this type of microscope utilizes a particle beam of electrons to light up a
specimen and develop a well-magnified image. Electron microscopes produce higher and
better resolution than older light microscopes because they can magnify objects up to a million
times while conventional microscopes can magnify objects up to 1,500 times only.

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Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Transmission electron microscope(TEM)
are two general types of an electron microscope.

2. Atomic force microscope (AFM)

It was first developed by Gerd Bing, Calvin Quate, and Christoph Gerber in 1986.
It makes use of a mechanical probe that gathers information from the surface of a material.

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3. Scanning tunneling microscope

This special type of microscope enables scientists to view and manipulate nanoscale
particles, atoms, and small molecules. In 1986, Gerd Binning and Heinrich Rohrer won the
Nobel Prize in Physical in Physics because of this invention.

NANOMANUFACTURING

It refers to scaled-up, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing of nanoscale materials,

structures, devices, and systems. It also involves research, improvement, and incorporation of
processes for the construction of materials. Therefore, nanomanufacturing leads to the
development of new products and improved materials. There are two fundamental approaches
to nanomanufacturing, either bottom-up or top-down. (NNI, 2017)

1. Bottom-up fabrication
It manufactures products by building them up from atomic and molecular-scale
components. However, this method can be time-consuming, Scientists and engineers are still
in search of effective ways of putting up together molecular components that self-assemble
and from the bottom-up to organized structures.

2. Top-down fabrication

It trims down large pieces of materials into the nanoscale . This process needs larger
amounts of materials and discards excess raw materials.

Top-down fabrication and Bottom-up fabrication illustration.

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There are new approaches to the assembly of nanomaterials based on the application of
principles in top-down and bottom-up fabrication. These include:

 Dip pen lithography

It is a method in which the tip of an atomic force microscope is “dipped” into a
chemical fluid and then utilized to “write” on a surface, like an old-fashioned ink
pen onto paper.
 Self-Assembly
It depicts an approach wherein a set of components join to mold an organized
structure in the absence of an outside direction .
 Chemical vapor deposition
It is a procedure wherein chemicals act in response to form very pure, high-
performance films.
 Nanoimprint lithography
It is a method of generating nanoscale attributes by “stamping” or “printing”
them onto the surface.
 Molecular beam epitaxy
It is one manner for depositing extremely controlled thin films.
 Roll-to-roll processing
It is a high-volume practice for constructing nanoscale devices on a roll of
ultrathin plastic or metal.
 Atomic layer epitaxy
It is a means for laying down one-atom-thick layers on a surface.

With the use of these techniques, nanomaterials are made more durable, stronger,
lighter, water-repellent, ultraviolet, or infrared-resistant, scratch-resistant, electrically
conductive, antireflective, antifog, antimicrobial, self-cleaning, among others. The
abovementioned characteristics lead to the manufacture of the present variety of
nanotechnology-enabled products such as tennis rackets and baseball bats to catalysts
for purifying crude oil and ultrasensitive recognition and classification of biological and
chemical toxins.

It is not impossible that soon, computers that are better, more efficient, with larger
storage of memory, faster, and energy-saving will be developed. Soon, the entire
memory of a computer will be saved in a single tiny chip. Moreover, nanotechnology
has the potential to construct high-efficiency, low-cost batteries, and solar cells.

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• 1857: Michael Faraday discovered colloidal “ruby” gold, demonstrating that nanostructured gold
under certain lighting conditions produces different-colored solutions.

• 1959: Richard Feynman of the California Institute of Technology gave what is considered to be the
first lecture on technology and engineering at the atomic scale, "There's Plenty of Room at the
Bottom" at an American Physical Society meeting at Caltech.
• 1974: Tokyo Science University Professor Norio Taniguchi coined the term nanotechnology to
describe the precision machining of materials within atomic-scale dimensional tolerances.

Nanotechnology is one of the fastest-growing industries on the planet, with research going into
its use in electronics, energy, construction, and even cosmetics.

• By 2025, nanotechnology is expected to be a mature industry, with countless mainstream products.

HISTORY (Nanomaterials)

• 1857: Michael Faraday discovered colloidal “ruby” gold, demonstrating that nanostructured gold
under certain lighting conditions produces different-colored solutions.
• 1981: Russia’s Alexei Ekimov discovered nanocrystalline, semiconducting quantum dots in a glass
matrix and conducted pioneering studies of their electronic and optical properties.
• 1985: Rice University researchers Harold Kroto, Sean O’Brien, Robert Curl, and Richard Smalley
discovered the Buckminsterfullerene (C60), more commonly known as the buckyball. The team was
awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their roles in this discovery and that of the fullerene
class of molecules more generally.
• 1985: Bell Labs’s Louis Brus discovered colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots), for
which he shared the 2008 Kavli Prize in Nanotechnology.
 1991: Sumio Iijima of NEC is credited with discovering the carbon nanotube (CNT), although there
were early observations of tubular carbon structures by others as well. Iijima shared the Kavli Prize in
Nanoscience in 2008 for this advance and other advances in the field. CNTs, like buckyballs, are
entirely composed of carbon, but in a tubular shape.

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 1992: C.T. Kresge and colleagues at Mobil Oil discovered the nanostructured catalytic materials
MCM-41 and MCM-48, now used heavily in refining crude oil as well as for drug delivery, water
treatment, and other varied applications.
 2003: Naomi Halas, Jennifer West, Rebekah Drezek, and Renata Pasqualin at Rice University
developed gold nanoshells, which when “tuned” in size to absorb near-infrared light, serve as a
platform for the integrated discovery, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer without invasive
biopsies, surgery, or systemically destructive radiation or chemotherapy.

HISTORY (Nanotechnology Applications)

 1989: Don Eigler and Erhard Schweizer at IBM's Almaden Research Center manipulated 35 individual
xenon atoms to spell out the IBM logo. This demonstration of the ability to precisely manipulate
atoms ushered in the applied use of nanotechnology.

• the 1990s: Early nanotechnology companies began to operate, e.g., Nanophase Technologies in
1989, Helix Energy Solutions Group in 1990, Zyvex in 1997, Nano-Tex in 1998….
 1999: Chad Mirkin at Northwestern University invented dip-pen nanolithography® (DPN®), leading
to manufacturable, reproducible “writing” of electronic circuits as well as patterning of biomaterials
for cell biology research, nanoencryption, and other applications.

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  1999–early 2000’s: Consumer products making use of nanotechnology began appearing in the
marketplace, including lightweight nanotechnology-enabled automobile bumpers that resist denting
and scratching, golf balls that fly straighter, tennis rackets that are stiffer (therefore, the ball
rebounds faster), baseball bats with better flex and "kick," nano-silver antibacterial socks, clear
sunscreens, wrinkle- and stain-resistant clothing, deep-penetrating therapeutic cosmetics, scratch-
resistant glass coatings, faster-recharging batteries for cordless electric tools, and improved displays
for televisions, cell phones, and digital cameras.

 2006: James Tour and colleagues at Rice University built a nanoscale car made of oligo(phenylene
ethynylene) with alkynyl axles and four spherical C60 fullerenes (buckyball) wheels. In response to
increases in temperature, the nano car moved about on a gold surface as a result of the buckyball
wheels turning, as in a conventional car. At temperatures above 300°C, it moved around too fast for
the chemists to keep track of it!

2010: IBM used a silicon tip measuring only a few nanometers at its apex (similar to the tips used in
atomic force microscopes) to chisel away material from a substrate to create a complete nanoscale 3D
relief map of the world one-one-thousandth the size of a grain of salt—in 2 minutes and 23 seconds.
This activity demonstrated a powerful patterning methodology for generating nanoscale patterns and
structures as small as 15 nanometers at greatly reduced cost and complexity, opening up new
prospects for fields such as electronics, optoelectronics, and medicine.

Nano-Theory

What makes nanoscale special?

Size matters!

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OPTICAL PROPERTIES
1) Gold nanoparticles were used as a pigment of ruby-colored stained glass dating back to the
17th century. Figure.1 shows a picture of the Rose Window of the Cathedral of Notre Dame.
The bright red and purple colors are due to gold nanoparticles.

2) Lycurgus cup: It appears green in reflected light but appears red when light is shone from
inside and is transmitted through the glass.

Surface plasmon resonance

When a nanoparticle is much smaller than the wavelength of light, coherent oscillation of the
conduction band electrons is induced by interaction with an electromagnetic field. This resonance is
called Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR).

Figure: Schematic of plasmon oscillation for a sphere, showing the displacement of the conduction
electron charge cloud relative to the nuclei.

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Why nanoparticles are different from bulk materials?
The very small size of nanoparticles (<100 nm) imparts a large surface-to-volume ratio, and
thus physical and chemical properties are very different from those of the same material in the bulk
form.
These properties include enhanced or hindered particle aggregation depending on the type of surface
modification, enhanced photoemission, high electrical and heat conductivity, and improved surface
catalytic activity.

Just some of the recent breakthroughs have included:

• The first integrated circuits using three-dimensional carbon nanotubes. These could be vital in
maintaining the growth of computer power, allowing Moore's Law to continue.
• Solar panels with greater efficiency through the use of nanotechnology materials.
• Water purification bottles, with filters only 15 nanometres in width, allow military personnel and also
civilians hit by disasters to create safe drinking water (even if that water comes from a filthy source).
Just some of the recent breakthroughs have included:
•Military equipment made lighter and stronger using nanomaterial composites.
•Nanostructured polymers in display technologies allow brighter images, lighter weight, less power
consumption, and wider viewing angles.
•Nanotechnology surfaces that are highly resistant to bacteria, dirt, and scratches.
Just some of the recent breakthroughs have included:
•New fabrics that are highly resistant to liquid, causing it to simply fall off without leaving any
dampness or stains.
•Nanostructured catalysts used to make chemical manufacturing processes more efficient, saving
energy and reducing waste products.
•Pharmaceutical products are reformulated with nanosized particles to improve their absorption and
make them easier to administer.

Teacher’s Insight:
Nanotechnology offers a vastly different and amazing service in many ways. But at the
moment, it is a young Science and most of its possible applications are still in the process of making it
possible. Now, we have simple products in the market that uses nanotechnology. With its very minute
scale, it can travel thru surfaces easily leaving things cleaner and better. It can remove stains in just
one wipe, clothes will no longer get wet when you must clean them, paints will be able to kill

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pathogenic microorganism that gives danger to everyone, and many more. What is more amazing is
the visionary application of this technology in the field of medicine. Imagine an operation without
incisions; no more cuts that it can already travel from one cell to another, with the aid of nano-robots.

Now, nanotechnology seems to be more expensive than normal products but if its demand and
supply will both increase, then somehow it will be made affordable for everybody.

BENEFITS AND CONCERNS OF USING NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology has various applications in different sectors of the society and

environment. Salamanca-Buentello et al. (2005) proposed an initiative called “Addressing
global Challenges Using Nanotechnology” to accelerate the use of nanotechnology to address
critical sustainable development challenges. They suggested a model that could help figure out
possible contributions of the community in overcoming global challenges that pose risks to
health and other aspects of peoples’ lives. However, some concerns need to be addressed
before using and promoting materials derived from nanotechnology (Dayrit, 2005)

1. Nanotechnology is not a single technology; it may become pervasive.

2. Nanotechnology seeks to develop new materials with specific properties.
3. Nanotechnology may introduce new efficiencies and paradigms which may make some
natural resources and current practices uncompetitive or obsolete.
4. It may be complicated to detect its presence unless one has the specialist tools of
nanotechnology.

BENEFITS AND CONCERNS OF THE APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN

DIFFERENT AREAS

Examples of Areas Possible Benefits Concerns

Affected by
Nanotechnology
ENVIRONMENT  Improved detection  High reactivity and
and removal of toxicity
contaminants  Pervasive distribution
 Development of in the environment
benign industrial  No nano-specific EPA
processes and regulation
materials

HEALTH  Improved medicine  Ability to cross cell

membranes and
translocate in the
body.
 No FDA approval is
needed for cosmetics
or supplements
ECONOMY  Better products  Redistribution of
 New jobs wealth
 Potential cost of
cleanups and
healthcare

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  Accessibility to all
income levels

ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology is being used in several applications that may lead to the advancement of our
environment. The following are:

MEDICINE Researchers developed customized nanoparticles the size of molecules that

can deliver drugs directly to diseased cells in your body. This method could
greatly eradicate the damage treatment such as chemotherapy.
ELECTRONICS Nanotechnology holds some answers for how we might increase the
capabilities of electronic devices while we reduce their weight and power
consumption.
FOOD Nanotechnology is having an impact on several aspects of food science, from
how food is grown to how it is packaged.
FUEL CELLS Nanotechnology is being used to reduce the cost of catalysts, used in fuel
cells to produce hydrogen ions from fuels such as methanol to improve the
efficiency of membranes used in fuel cells to separate hydrogen ions from
other gases such as oxygen.
SOLAR CELLS Companies have developed nanotech solar cells that can be manufactured at
significantly lower costs done conventional solar cells.
Companies are currently developing batteries using nanomaterials. One such
BATTERIES battery will be good as new after sitting on the shelf for decades. Another
battery can be recharged significantly faster than conventional batteries.
SPACE Nanotechnology may hold the key to making space-flight more practical.
Advancements in nanomaterial make lightweight spacecraft and cables for
the space elevator possible. By significantly reducing the amount of rocket
fuel required, these advances could lower the cost of reaching orbit and
traveling in space.
FUEL Nanotechnology can address the shortage of fossil fuels such as diesel
BETTER AIR Nanotechnology can improve the performance of catalysts used to
QUALITY transform vapors escaping from cars and industrial plants into harmless
gases.
CLEANER Nanotechnology is being used to develop solutions to solve different
WATER problems in water quality. Nanoparticles can be used to convert the
contaminating chemicals through chemical reactions to make them harmless.
CHEMICAL Nanotechnology can enable sensors to detect very small amounts of
SENSORS chemical vapors. Various types of detecting elements such as carbon
nanotubes, zinc oxide nanowires, or palladium nanoparticles can be used in
nanotechnology-based sensors. Since these materials are small. It allows
detecting a very low concentration of chemical vapors.
FABRICS Making composite fabrics with nano-sized particles or fibers allows
improvement of fabric properties without a significant increase in weight,
thickness, or stiffness as might have been the case with previously-used
techniques.

FUTURE APPLICATIONS
• Cars are being manufactured with nanomaterials so they may need fewer metals and less fuel to
operate in the future.
•Scientists are now turning to nanotechnology to develop diesel engines with cleaner exhaust fumes.
 Quantum computers, invisibility cloaks, and space elevators may one day become a reality, thanks to
nanotech.

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• MEDICINE: The future of nanotechnology could improve the outlook for medical patients with
serious illnesses or injuries. Physicians could theoretically study nanosurgery and be able to attack
illness and injury at the molecular level. This, of course, could eradicate cancer as the surgical
procedures would be done on a cellular base.
• Cancer cells would be identified, removed, and the surgical implantation of healthy cells would soon
follow. Moreover, there would be an entire nano surgical field to help cure everything from natural
aging to diabetes to bone spurs. There would be almost nothing that could not be repaired (eventually)
with the introduction of nanosurgery.

The future of nanotechnology could very well include the use of nanorobotics. These
nanorobots have the potential to take on human tasks as well as tasks that humans could never
complete. The rebuilding of the depleted ozone layer could potentially be able to be performed.

• Nanorobots could single out molecules of water contaminants. We could put these tiny robots to
use keeping the environment cleaner than ever since they could break it down to each atom of water
pollution. These nanorobots could also take over human jobs, especially those in high-tech positions.

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 In the more distant future, nanotechnology could allow humans to make the transition to fully
non-biological forms. Entire bodies and brains could be reconstructed at the atomic scale, leading to
practical immortality.

SUMMARY

Nanotechnology is an advanced interdisciplinary field that encompasses science and

technology that manufactures materials of great help to the improvement of various areas of society
especially health care, environment, energy, food, water, and agriculture. It is a field that needs to be
explored, not only by known experts but also neophytes, to
advance our knowledge of science and technology, and more importantly, to help improve our quality
of life. But, before we engage in nanotechnology, we need to consider the social, ethical, and
environmental concerns of using such nanomaterials.

*** End of Lesson for Nanotechnology ***

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