MODULE 5 Nanotechnology

AUTHORS

Roselyne A. Tanas, Mechell P. Lardizaval,

BS Biol MS Bio
CONTRIBUTORS

Melvin G. Magbalita, Madonna C. Daquigan,

BS Biol MS CaRE

1. Describe the status of nanotechnology in the Philippines.

2. Critique the issue on its costs and benefits to society.
LEARNING
OUTCOMES

INTRODUCTION TO NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology can be defined as the engineering of

functional systems at the molecular scale. It is the science of
materials at the molecular or subatomic level and hence dubbed as
ENGAGE the “science of the extremely small”. Before investigating the
applications and benefits of nanotechnology, let us consider how
small a nanometer is. A nanometer is expressed as 1 x 10-9 m which

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 means 1 meter contains 1,000,000,000 nanometers. This number is
one BILLION nanometers in 1 meter.

NANOSCALE MEASUREMENT
To visualize objects at a nanoscale measurement, perform the
simple activity given:

Using a ruler, measure the following objects and provide your

answers in nanometer. Write your answers in the table below. You
ENGAGE may use the unit conversions as reference in your computation:

Useful Unit Conversions

1 meter (m) = 1 x 109 nanometers (nm)

1 meter (m) = 100 centimeters (cm)

1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm)

1 foot (ft) = 12 inches (in)

1 meter (m) = 3.28 feet (ft)

Object Actual Measurement

measurement in nanometer
(show unit)

Diameter of a 25-centavo coin

Perimeter of any square object

Length of a standard ballpen

Nano: 10-9
Nano is a unit meaning one billionth or ten raised to negative
nine (10-9). In comparison, an inch is equivalent to 25,400,000
nanometers. A sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick and if a
marble were a nanometer, then one meter would be the size of the
CONCEPT
Earth

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 Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the engineering of matter at the molecular
or even atomic scale. It is the study and use of structures ranging from
1 to 100 nm. It also refers to the design, characterization, production
and application of structures, devices and systems by controlling
shape and size at nanometre scale.

Nanoscience
It deals with materials that are very small using specialized
microscopes and other nanodevices. This is also the study of
structures (NANOSTRUCTURES) and materials on the scale of
nanometers (NANOSCALE). The study of phenomena and
manipulation of materials at atomic, molecular and macromolecular
scales, where properties differ significantly from those at a larger
scale.

Nanostructures
Nanostructures are structures that range between 1 nm and 100
nm in the nanoscale, and they cannot be seen by the naked eye.
Nanomaterials also exist in nature (volcanic ash, ocean spray, fine
sand, and dust) They can only be observed individually using
specialized equipment: SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE and
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE (when these two were invented,
nanotechnology was born)

To widen your understanding about nanotechnology, let us

explore the website: www.nano.gov. This website is the National
Nanotechnology Initiative of the United States of America. In that
website, we can find a little background information on
nanotechnology, some resources, and even the research and
development projects of the organization.

METHODS OF MAKING NANOPARTICLES

There are two general methods that people in science apply
in making nanoparticles. One is Top-Down Approach which is the
traditional process of slicing or cutting larger particles to nanosized
structures. This is applied by microchip manufacturers (intel) in
EXPLORE making microprocessors. Another application is in nanocomposites
and nanocoatings wherein they mix nanoscale additives with
conventional materials to improve their internal or surface properties,
respectively. Examples include: Silver nanoparticles added to
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 plastics to make them antibacterial; Titanium dioxide make surface
of glass reject dirt thus becomes “self-cleaning”; Carbon nanotubes
(graphenes) added to paints or plastics for strength and conductivity.
The second approach is the Bottom-Up Approach or the
molecular self-assembly of atomic size particles to form nanoparticles
with new properties: stronger, lighter.
Top-down approach is about the slicing or successive cutting of
a bulk material in order to get nano-dimensional particles while
Bottom-up approach refers to the stockpile of a material from the
bottom: atom by atom, molecule by molecule, or cluster by cluster.
A characteristic of the top-down method is Attrition or milling, while
colloidal dispersion is a good illustration of bottom-up approach in
the synthesis of nanoparticles (Pandey, et al. 2015)

Top-down and Bottom-up syntheses of Nanofabrication, ResearchGate.com

APPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology is helping to considerably improve, even

revolutionize, many technology and industry sectors: information
technology, homeland security, medicine, transportation, energy,
CONCEPT food safety, and environmental science, etc.

1. Environmental Remediations
a. Radioactive Waste Cleanup
o Use of titanate nanofibers and nanotubes
▪ as absorbents for the removal of radioactive ions
from water
▪ superior materials for removal of radioactive
cesium and iodine ions in water.
b. Oil Spill Cleanup
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 o Use of nanofabric "paper towel" woven from tiny wires
of potassium manganese oxide that can absorb 20
times its weight in oil for cleanup applications.
o Use of magnetic water-repellent nanoparticles in oil
spills and magnets to mechanically remove the oil from
the water.
c. Groundwater Cleanup
o Use of iron nanoparticles which disperse throughout the
body of water and decompose the organic solvent in
place.
o more effective and cost significantly less than
treatment methods that require the water to be
pumped out of the ground.

2. Medical Field (under development)

a. Nanoflares
o designed bind to genetic targets in cancer cells, and
generate light when that particular genetic target is
found.
b. Drug Delivery
o nanoparticle can encapsulate or otherwise help to
deliver medication directly to cancer cells and
minimize the risk of damage to healthy tissue
o This has the potential to change the way doctors treat
cancer and dramatically reduce the toxic effects of
chemotherapy
c. Gold Nanoparticles
o Used as probes for the detection of targeted
sequences of nucleic acids to detect disease/cancer
at a very early stage
o also being clinically investigated as potential
treatments for cancer and other diseases.
o in combination with fluorescent protein, is being used in
a system under development to diagnosis which type
of cancer is present.
o Gold nanoparticles that have antibodies attached can
provide quick diagnosis of flu virus.
d. Regenerative Medicine
o for bone and neural tissue engineering
o Mimic nanoparticles (ex. Minerals of bones) for
restoration of degenerated tissues
▪ graphene nanoribbons
• help repair spinal cord injuries

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 3. Food Industry
- nanosilver has antibacterial properties that can be used in
food contact materials such as cutting boards
- food supplements, nanosized carriers increase
absorption of nutrients
- nanosensors can be incorporated into packaging to monitor
the quality and shelf-life of food from manufacturer to
consumer
- make food ingredients tastier or healthier like carving up salt
into a nanosize increases surface area…tasty food with less
salt

4. Other Applications of Nanotechnology

a. Reduction of Pollutants
o use of silver nanoclusters as catalysts can significantly
reduce the polluting byproducts generated in the
process used to manufacture propylene oxide.
▪ Propylene oxide is used to produce common
materials such as plastics, paint, detergents and
brake fluid.
b. Generation of Electricity
o an array of silicon nanowires embedded in a polymer
results in low cost but high efficiency solar cells.
o Nanotechnology can be incorporated into solar panels
to convert sunlight to electricity more efficiently.
o Bionanotechnology helps in cleaner production of
alternative and renewable energy sources
o
c. Agriculture
o Breeding of crops with higher micronutrients to detect
pests & to control food processing
o Nanoparticles to control soil, water and air
contamination
d. Surfaces
o Graphene used as one-layer coating material
o Heat-resistant & self-cleaning surfaces like floors and
benchtops
o Silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide for water & stain
resistant surfaces

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 STATUS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines have seen the rapid growth of technological
advancements amidst the waves from the Fourth Industrial
Revolution era (FIRe). In the year 2009, the Department of Science
and Technology (DOST) formally acknowledged the field of
nanotechnology as one of the priorities for Research and
Development (R&D) initiatives. A group of interdisciplinary local
scientists was gathered to develop a strategic roadmap for
nanotechnology from the year 2017-2022
(https://ebrary.net/230705/engineering/philippine_roadmap_nanot
echnology_2017_2022). The priority areas of this roadmap are the
following:
1. Semiconductor
2. Information and communication technology
3. Energy
4. Agriculture
5. Health
6. Environment

Due to COVID 19 pandemic, the drafter roadmaps and

technological adoption are being impeded and the development
of most industries was hindered.

• StatNano- a statistics to monitor the latest

developments in the field of nanotechnology

The Philippines is reported to have established 6 companies that

have developed 23 products in the fields of:
1. Automotive
2. Medicine
3. Construction
4. Textile
5. Home Appliance

Philippine Research on Nanotechnology:

• 4.53% of the total ISI-indexed articles in the country and a total
of 0.50% out of the total research articles published in 2019

Nanotechnology Patents in the Philippines

• There are two major patent offices in the world:
1. United States Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO)
2. European Patent Office (EPO)

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 • The Philippines has a total of 17 nanotech patent applications
in the USPTO
▪ 2001-2014: seven nanotech patent applications
▪ 2015-2018: ten nanotech patent applications

• There are still no nanotech-granted patents given in the

Philippines both from USPTO and EPO.

The growing novel nanotechnology products in the Philippines

are surprisingly unsupported by low patent applications, therefore
increasing funding for nanotechnology would increase the number
of potential patent applications. In the next years, the top efforts for
research would focus on the following areas:
1. Bioactive nanostructures for drug delivery
2. Improved imaging techniques
3. Filtration using nanomaterials
4. Applications for nanoparticles and
nanocomposites

To implement advanced materials and nanotechnology in the

Philippines, the strategy focuses on establishing capacity and the
engagement of the stakeholders which include industry,
government, and researchers to increase awareness and
collaboration. There is a wide array of research and development
initiatives in different research and academic institutions in the
Philippines through the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST). The table below summarizes the different applications of
materials and nanotechnology in different industries:

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 Local Developments in Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology classified per Sector,
DOST PCIEERD

As of 2019, there are 17 ongoing projects for the advanced

material sector and 10 projects for nanotechnology. Below are some
of the completed and ongoing projects:

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 Local Projects in Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, DOST PCIEERD

The Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council

for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and
Development (DOST-PCIEERD) identified and classified key research
areas per industry according to immediate financial and economic
impact to the country, availability of local skill and knowledge base,
and present status of the product/technological development in the
Philippines. Rail, food and agriculture, and sustainable environment
were identified as immediate target industries because these have
immediate adopters who can commercialize or utilize the
technologies while aerospace, ICT and semiconductor, and
automotive were classified as long-term target industries because
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 these have high impact to the country in terms of exports or
economic value but need more capacity building before industry
players can make bigger investments.

Immediate Target Research Areas, DOST PCIEERD

Long-term Target Research Areas, DOST PCIEERD

GLOBAL CHALLENGES AND IMPACTS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY

It is no doubt that Nanotechnology is helping address some of

the global challenges that we are encountering such as in global
EXPLAIN energy supply by providing sustainable, efficient solar energy and
many more (e.g batteries out of twisted carbon nanotubes, cell
patches that generate electricity from lactic acid in the sweat); and
rapid urbanization in our need for lighter, stronger materials for
infrastructure and transportation.

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 DANGERS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY

Despite all the benefits that we can have with

Nanotechnology, it also has setbacks, like all other technological
applications. Some are listed below:

1. Impacts of Nanotechnology to Health

a. Lung Damage
- Since nanoparticles are “ultra-fine” particles, there is a tendency that
it may be inhaled and could damage the lungs
b. Cell damage and damage to DNA
- Nanoparticles can get into the body through the skin, lungs and
digestive system.
- This may help create 'free radicals' which can cause cell damage and
damage to the DNA.
c. Immunosuppression
- Inhaled carbon nanotubes can suppress the immune system by
affecting the function of T cells

2. Impacts of Nanotechnology to Environment (nano-contaminants)

a. Mining - fine metal oxide particles
b. Combustion - soot/carbon, fly ash, fullerenes
c. Laundry - silver nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles
d. Medicine - silver nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles
e. Auto-traffic - pyrenamine and platinum nanoparticles
f. Battery waste - fine carbon particles

3. Problems in its risk assessment

a. Very difficult to detect without sophisticated equipment
b. Difficult to predict how particles will behave in the environment
(dispersed/clumped)
c. Potential to adsorb toxic chemicals
d. Persistence: Longevity of particles in the environment and body are
unknown
4. Ethical dilemmas of nanotechnology
a. Playing God?
b. Risk and Harm in patients while testing

5. Other issues
a. Possibility of sentient machines? robots?
b. Grey goo? - is a hypothetical global catastrophic scenario involving
nanotechnology in which out-of-control self-replicating machines
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 consume all living things on Earth while building more of themselves
(ecophagy)
c. Eugenics? - is the advocacy of improving the human species by
selectively mating people with desirable hereditary traits aiming to
reduce human suffering by “breeding out” diseases, and disabilities.

NANOTECHNOLOGY: COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS

(Formative Activity)

Time Allotted: 2hours

ELABORATE
Topic: Nanotechnology applications, global challenges,
dangers, and ethical dilemmas.

Instructions:
Cost-Benefit Analysis or benefit-cost analysis
involves adding up all the benefits of a course of
action, and then comparing these with the costs
associated with it. Take not that benefit means the
gains or the positive effects of the action, while cost
means the losses or negative effects.

To do the cost-benefit analysis, list all the benefits and all the
costs of the situation side by side and compare using your utmost
judgment. BENEFITS are the good side of it, while the COSTS are the
setbacks, drawbacks, or negative effects/impacts of it. Since we
cannot use numerical values for this activity to solve for the cost-
benefit ratio, we use neutral judgment to assess which is more
equitable in its impact. The answer sheet is organized into a table
for easier answering.

Note:
Answer sheet
Let’s access the answer sheet in this link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vpkSsXD3a_WVWdTjDkJsK
6XAfkvJ89NfxyGFBJOfaho/edit .

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 SUMMARY

• Nano is a unit equivalent to one billionth or ten raised to

negative nine (10-9).
• Nanotechnology is the engineering of matter at the nanoscale
KEY of 1 to 100nm; Nanoscience is broader in its sense because it is
POINTS the study of structures (NANOSTRUCTURES) and materials on
the scale of nanometers (NANOSCALE).
• There are two methods in making nanoparticles: Top-down is
cutting larger particles to smaller nanosized structures, Bottom-
up is the building up of atomic-sized particles to form
nanoparticles.
• Some of the uses of nanotechnology can be applied in: (a)
medicine, such as in early detection of cancer cells, and drug
delivery, among others; (b) environmental remediations, such
as in reduction of pollutants, oil spills and clean-ups of bodies
of water; (c) food industry; (d) electricity generation; and
many more.
• While nanotechnology has enormous potentials, it also poses
unprecedented risks in human health and the environment,
plus the ethical dilemmas that are associated with it.

Nano facts and FAQs about Nanotechnology may also be found in

these links:

Supplemental information
A. Nano Facts
https://www.tcd.ie/nanoscience/whatisnano/nanofacts/

B. FAQs about Nanotechnology

https://nanoyou.eu/attachments/077_Questions%20%26%20answer
s%20-%20cards%20final.pdf

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 3-2-1 Exit Ticket
Fill in the table below to assess your understanding about the
concepts presented in this module.

3 Things I’ve Learned 2 Things I Want more 1 Question I Have

EVALUATE from this Module to Learn About

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 SUPPLEMENTARY READING RESOURCES

TEDTalk:
a. Ray Kurzwell on “How Technology Will Transform
Us”
REFERENCES The accelerating power of technology | Ray
Kurzweil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfbOyw3CT6A
b. George Tulevski on “The Next Step of
Nanotechnology”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds_rzoyyfF0
c. Julian Assange on “Why the World Needs Wikileaks”

Article:
a. Article: “Nanoethics: The ethical and Social
Implications of Nanotechnology” (Patrick Lin and
Fritz Allhoff, Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and
Sons, Inc. 2007)
https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcont
ent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsr
edir=1&article=1006&context=phil_fac
b. Article: Khan A. Ethical and social implications of
nanotechnology, QScience Proceedings
(Engineering Leaders Conference 2014) 2015:57
http://dx.doi.org/10.5339/qproc.2015.elc2014.57
https://www.qscience.com/docserver/fulltext/qpr
oc/2015/4/qproc.2015.elc2014.57.pdf?expires=15
91866198&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=BC
B48519A224BAFF7E9431692369EEF7
c. Article: “Environmental Impacts of
Nanotechnology and Its Products” (Zhang et. Al
Proceedings of the 2011 Midwest Section
Conference of the American Society for
Engineering Education, 2011)
https://faculty.atu.edu/cgreco/ASEEmw_2011/AS
EE_2011_Proceedings/Peer_Reviewed_Papers/ASE
E-MIDWEST_0030_c25dbf.pdf
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 d. Article: “Nanotechnology in the Philippines”
(Brown, M. B., Brown, C. M., & Nepomuceno, R. A.
Intellectual Property Issues in Nanotechnology,
2020: 325–332.
https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003052104-21)
e. Article: “Nanotechnology in the Philippines:
Development of Framework for Technology
Adoption” (Lim, N. R., Santos, G. N., Ubando, A. T.,
& Culaba, A. B. IOP Conference Series: Materials
Science and Engineering, 2021: 1109(1), 012031.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/1109/1/012031)
f. Article: “DOST PCIEERD ETDD: Formulation of
Roadmap and Sectoral Plan for Five Emerging
Technology”(DOST-PCIEERD Final Report, 2019)
g. Dayrit, Fabian M. Nanotech Business and Practical
Applications.

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