Introduction
What is Nanotechnology?
In what Areas/Industries is Nanotechnology used?
Army and Security
Space
Automotive
Chemistry
Computers
Nanobiotechnology
Nano Materials
Why is it a hot career?
Ethical Issues
Nanotechnology is being painted as a hot new science by many people. However research on it has been going on for the past two decades. Nanotechnology has been touted as a technology that will cause “Creative Destruction”, a phase in time where a technology emerges that is so superior that it completely overrides technologies before it and makes them redundant.
This is not something that can be tackled in a just a single article. In this series of articles we will try and find out more about Nanotechnology, how it will impact us and if it is all that it is made out to be. This is the first in a series of articles aimed at unraveling this “science of limitless possibilities”?
What is Nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology (n.)
The ability to do things - measure, see, predict and make - on the scale of atoms and molecules. Traditionally, the nanotechnology realm is defined as being between 0.1 and 100 nanometers, a nanometer being one thousandth of a micron (micrometer), which is, in turn, one thousandth of a millimeter.
- NanoBusiness Alliance (http://nanobusiness.org/info/aboutNano/overview)
The systematic study, manipulation, and modification of atoms and molecules having nanometer-sized dimensions began several hundred years ago. Until recently however, working with and controlling atoms and molecules was limited to large quantities of these nanometer-sized objects. Realistically, chemists would modify hundreds of trillions of molecules in a typical chemical reaction. When chemists synthesize new molecules, they make them in large quantities by using macroscopic methods such as heat to initiate chemical reactions. Biologists can identify and create new types of genetic material, but only on a large number of molecules.
Sometime ago scientists working on computer chips discovered that Moore’s law, which states that the speed of computer CPU’s doubles every 18 months, was about to hit a wall. The difficulty was that there is just so much space that is available on a chip. In a nutshell, the scientists were constantly trying to fit the same devices on an increasingly minute area, which can be called a “Top Down” approach. This has its limitations.
Building “Bottom Up”, which means manipulating atoms and molecules to build electronic gates, the building blocks of modern computers, would have its advantages on several accounts. The most obvious one would be that of size, at these molecular levels size would be the least of the constraints. Apart from that, another major benefit would be that of speed, due to the fact that only molecules would be used for the making of a device there would essentially be no resistance, a pure conductor.
A similar idea had been suggested a while ago, called as the Quantum Computer, but was thought of to be impossible due to limitations of technology. Something that only existed in the realm of theory.
Not just computers, take the example of fabrics, several manufacturers are touting so called “new-age” materials that keep the person wearing them cool. Well, how about fabrics that have the ability to sample the constituents of a person’s sweat to find out if there are any medical conditions; a sort of a health indicator on a real time basis, or clothes that take up the exact shape of the wearer, the ultimate tailor made suit!
Steel of the purest kind is just as pure as the materials that go into making it, how about a an alloy built with nanotechnology, built molecule by molecule having the best properties of steel carbon fiber and plastics!
Nanotechnology is touted as a panacea for all of the problems that plague mankind. Is it really all that it is made out to be?
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In what Areas/Industries is Nanotechnology used?
The growth of Nanotechnology is in most sectors and the list of categories is extensive. Newer applications are being found for the use of nanotechnology in increasingly different and varied areas almost everyday. There are a few areas that are experiencing the biggest thrust of the research and development activities in nanotechnology. Not surprisingly development of Arms, the Armed forces and Security is where research and development of nanotechnology is concentrated, although other application areas like Space, Automobiles, Chemicals and Computers are also receiving a substantial amount of research effort.
- Army and Security:
Several companies including Raytheon and the US Department of defense as well as the institutes like the MIT are working on nanotechnology on a wide range of areas. A few examples of the projects that MIT is working on are:
- Energy Absorbing Materials
- Mechanically Active Materials and Devices
- Sensing and Counteraction
- Biomaterials and Nanodevices for Soldier Medical Technology
- Processing and Characterization - The Nanofoundries
- Modeling and Simulation of Materials and Processes
- Systems Design, Hardening, and Integration
Several of the latest advances in the nanotech field remain classified by the US Department of Defense.
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- Space:
NASA is working on the development of Nanotechnology to further its ventures in space. The research work focuses on experimental research and development in nano and bio technologies as well as on a strong modeling and simulation effort. For a list of the Projects that NASA is working on in Nanotechnology click here - http://www.ipt.arc.nasa.gov/gallery.html
- Automotive:
Diamler Chrysler is one of several companies that is working to use nanotechnology to its advantage. The company has developed what is believed to be the first automotive nanotechnology application: a scratch-resistant nano paint.
General Motors is expanding its use of new materials, such as nanocomposites, to reduce weight in the vehicle while at the same time providing a quality, recyclable and affordable product.
Centro ricerche Fiat (Crf) a subsidiary of FIAT of Italy is working on nanotech to improve lighting in vehicles, Sensors, Information, Energy and Actuation a brief about what the company does can be had at their website - http://www.crf.it/uk/2_do.htm
- Chemistry:
Chemistry is perhaps poised to be the research area that will see the greatest initial benefits of advancing research in Nanotechnology. “Carbon Nanotubes” are single molecules of carbon built using nanotech. They have unusual properties which include high tensile strength, resilience, favorable electronic properties and high thermal conductivity.
BASF is the world's leading chemical company. They are working on a range of products imbibing nanotechnology, one of them is hyperbranched polymers used in plastics. Another area of research is cube-shaped nanostructures, which consist of three-dimensionally linked biometallic networks that are capable of storing hydrogen. As a rechargeable storage medium for miniaturized fuel cells, they could replace conventional rechargeable batteries in mobile electronic devices such as laptops or cell phones.
A nanoparticulate surface coating which, as it dries, forms nanostructures very similar to those found on the surface of a lotus leaf finds applications in the textile, automotive and construction industries. The resulting surfaces are water-repellent and stay clean longer.
http://corporate.basf.com/en/innovationen/felder/nanotechnologie/nanotech.htm?id=Ji2ac7UIGbcp3vp
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- Computers:
In computers nanotechnology can be used for making miniature computers that can be embedded into any thing and everything! The speed of processors can be advanced to unbelievable levels.
Atomic Holographic Nanotechnology will allow for the first time a functional method for programmable molecular lenses that will allow incoming light to be rejected, modified internally, or allowed to pass unaltered through a transparent lens known as disk, tape, card, drum, film, etc.
By being able to program optical lenses, many applications based on light and color can be developed, such as holographic storage, bio-terror detection devices, optical electronics, security products, and hundreds of other products never seen before on the world's markets. It is already possible to store 100 TB of data onto 1 3.5 inch disk - http://www.physorg.com/news785.html
Researchers at MIT have created a “quantum-dot” organic light-emitting device (QD-OLED) that may one day replace LCDs as the flat-panel display of choice for consumer electronics. - http://www.ferret.com.au/articles/29/0c013929.asp
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- Nanobiotechnology:
Nanobiotechnology is an emerging area of scientific and technological opportunity. Nanobiotechnology applies the tools and processes of nano/microfabrication to build devices for studying biosystems. Research is currently underway in areas such as Biomolecular Devices and Analysis, Cellular Microdynamics, Cell Surface Interactions, Nanoscale Materials and Nanoscale Biology.
At the forefront is the Research cell at the Nanobiotechnology Center (NTBC) - http://www.nbtc.cornell.edu/
- Nano Materials
Materials with structural features (particle size or grain size, for example) of at least one dimension in the range 1-100 nm are called Nanomaterials.
Some of the early adopters of Nanoscale Materials are wear-resistant and environment-resistant coatings for industrial and military applications, lightweight structural materials for aircraft and cars, magnetic coatings for computer hard drives, stain resistant coatings for clothing (mostly men's), adherents and absorbents for water treatment, better UV shielding in sunscreens, and chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) abrasives for polishing silicon wafers.
http://www.nanotech-now.com/disruptive-technologies-partII.htm
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Why is it a hot career?
What constitutes a “Hot Career”? Is it the opportunities presented by a particular technology/Software/Manufacturing Process today? No, that would be short term, we are talking about careers, something that shapes someone’s life. Here at CareersDesk we have always tried to look forward and analyze trends in the making, to enable people by giving them the tools to shape their careers. What makes us think that Nanotechnology is the next big thing?
The fact is that all of the big corporations in the world irrespective of their application area are involved in some sort of nanotechnology initiative to gain the benefits of going nano. Governments are increasing grants and aid for Nanotechnology research. The Ministry of Information Technology and the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India have also recently setup working groups and program advisory committees to fund research in the area of nanotechnology. However, compared to the nanotechnology initiatives of other countries, these are very small steps and grossly insufficient. It is hoped that the Government of India would come up with a major nanotechnology initiative in the next few months to come, and, as a first step, create infrastructure facilities at various leading educational institutions and government labs, so that the nanotechnology research gets the much needed boost in the country.
During our research we came across a couple of quotes that got us thinking. The first is from a report issued by Credit Suisse First Boston:
“Nanotechnology is a classic, general-purpose technology (GPT). Other GPTs, including steam engines, electricity, and railroads, have been the basis for major economic revolutions. GPTs typically start as fairly crude technologies, with limited uses, but then rapidly spread into new applications. All prior GPTs have led directly to major upheavals in the economy—the process of creative destruction. And nanotechnology may be larger than any of the other GPTs that preceded it. Creative destruction is the process by which a new technology or product provides an entirely new and better solution, resulting in the complete replacement of the original technology or product. Investors should expect that creative destruction will not only continue, but will also likely accelerate, and nanotechnology will be at the core. What does this mean from a practical standpoint? Because of the advent of nanotechnology, we believe new companies will displace a high percentage of today's leading companies. The majority of the companies in today's Dow Jones industrials Index are unlikely to be there 20 years from now.
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Along those same lines, Josh Wolfe of Lux Capital, editor of the Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report, writes:
"Quite simply, the world is about to be rebuilt (and improved) from the atom up. That means tens of trillions of dollars to be spent on everything: clothing... food... cars... housing... medicine...the devices we use to communicate and recreate...the quality of the air we breathe...and the water we drink, are all about to undergo profound and fundamental change. And as a result, so will the socio and economic structure of the world. Nanotechnology will shake up just about every business on the planet."http://www.crnano.org/dangers.htm#economy
Some of the words in the quotes above are quite strong suggesting a major shift in the way we do things, something that will change, well, everything we do!
There is no way that we can speculate on what the application areas of nanotechnology will be, however the predictions in the above quotes are to be taken with a pinch of salt. Many of the technologies have been years in the making and it will still be years before all the technologies predicted here will actually see the light of day. Anyway it is not a question of if these technologies will come to pass, it is when.
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Ethical Issues
There are several concerns about the ethical aspects of the use of nanotechnology and a fear expressed by several experts that there are no laws and standards to prevent the misuse of nanotechnology, which would be catastrophic, to say the least! Many of the applications of nanotechnology are predicted to be a good 50 – 60 years away, but fears are that, with the research on nanotechnology advancing so rapidly many of the predictions might come true in the next 10 – 15 years and the world will not be ready to accept the changes that it will cause, that there wont be rules and regulations to govern the use or the misuse of Nanotechnology.
On the other hand it is clearly something that needs to be paid attention to it as a hot new technology. In the next article we will provide data to support the fact that it is a hot new career, the technologies that are going to be used and how you can benefit from it. Also in forthcoming articles will be ways in which you can study in nanotechnology to further your career.
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