Nanotechnology: concepts and applications

Nanotechnology, as its name implies, is, at its essence, the science of small things. However, nanotechnology is not so much the study of small things as it is the study of how to use small things to advance technology. "Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. This covers both current work and concepts that are more advanced" (Center for Responsible Nanotechnology, 2002-2008). It spans a very broad range of topics. For example, the use of powder coat paint to provide a smooth finish to lawn furniture falls under the umbrella of nanotechnology, as does some use of tiny robots in surgery. The field is so vast that its different applications may seem unrelated. However, if the scientific question at the heart of the issue involves examining things at a molecular scale, then it is an element of nanotechnology.

It is impossible to determine exactly when nanotechnology was discovered. That is because nanotechnology was being used before it was defined as a modern science. For example, 4th century dichroic glass was an example of how craftsmen used heat to manipulate things on a molecular level, which is an element of nanotechnology (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2013). The advent of modern technology can be said to have begun in 1857 when Michael Faraday discovered colloidal ruby gold (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2013). In 1936, Erwin Muller invented the field emission microscope, which allowed people to view materials close to the atomic-level, and in 1951 he developed the filed ion microscope which actually looked at the arrangement of atoms (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2013). In 1947, John Bardeen, William Shockley, and Walter Brattain discovered the semiconductor transistor, which helped usher in the electronic age, which has been interrelated with nanotechnology (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2013). In 1956, Arthur von Hippel coined the term "molecular engineering" in discussing dielectrics, ferroelectrics, and piezoelectrics; molecular engineering could be seen as a precursor to nanotechnology. However, it was a 1959 speech by Richard Feynman, in which he discussed engineering on an atomic scale, that is often hailed as the start of nanotechnology (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2013). The field was given its name in 1974 by Tokyo Science University Professor Norio Taniguchi (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2013).

It is difficult to describe how nanotechnology works because the term refers to so many possible scientific applications. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter and nanotechnology works at the nanoscale. Therefore, an important component of modern nanotechnology is the ability of scientists to see and manipulate objects at the nanoscale. However, craftsmen were manipulating things on the molecular level centuries before the technology existed for them to see these changes.

Nanotechnology can be used in a wide variety of ways. One of the primary commercial uses of nanotechnology is for polymers. Polymers are used in everyday products such as bumpers and luggage, making them durable and lightweight. Nanotechnology is also used in fabric, and can help make fabrics stain or wrinkle resistant. One use of nanotechnology that most people have experienced in their daily life is the use of protective coatings on glass surfaces to make them glare-resistant. Nanotechnology is also used in health and beauty products such as sunscreens and cleansers. One of the more innovative applications of nanotechnology may be in the food industry, where nano-engineered packages can help improve the longevity of food and nano-manufactured sensors may one day be able to detect food-borne illness (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2013).

Because nanotechnology is developing at such a rapid pace, it is difficult to truly consider all of the modern advancements in nanotechnology. However, it is widely recognized that the 1981 invention of the scanning tunneling microscope by Gerd Binning and Heinrich Rohrer, which allowed scientists to view individual atoms for the first time, was a breakthrough advance in the field (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2013). Many of the later advances in nanotechnology focused on discoveries about carbon shape and structure, such as the discovery of the buckyball in 1985, and the discovery of the carbon nanotube in 1991 (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2013). Another significant advance occurred in 1985, when Don Eigler and Erhard Schweizer demonstrated that they could manipulate individual atoms (National Nanotechnology Initiative, 2013).