Applications and Products: Putting Technology to Use
Over the past two decades, scientists and engineers have been mastering the intricacies of working with nanoscale materials.
Now researchers have a mucher clearer picture of how to create nanoscale materials with properties never envisioned before.
Products using nanoscale materials now available:
- anti-bacterial wound dressings use nanoscale silver.
- A nanoscale dry powder can neutralize gas and liquid toxins in chemical spills and elsewhere.
- Batteries for tools are being manufactured with nanoscale materials in order to deliver more power more quickly with less heat.
Cosmetics and food
producers are “nano-sizing” some ingredients, claiming that improves their
effectiveness. Sunscreens containing nanoscale titanium dioxide or
zinc oxide are transparent and reflect ultraviolet (UV) light to
prevent sunburns. Scratch- and glare-resistant coatings are
being applied to eye glasses, windows, and car mirrors.
Entirely new products could result from nanotechnology too. Research in nanomedicine, for instance, is focused on finding new ways for diagnosing and treating disease.
Looking farther into the future, some researchers are working toward nanomanufacturing and a “bottom-up” approach to making things. The idea is that if you can put certain molecules together, they will self-assemble into ordered structures. This approach could reduce the waste of current “topdown” manufacturing processes that start with large pieces of materials and end with the disposal of excess material.
Drug-Delivery Techniques
Dendrimers are a type of nanostructure that can be
precisely designed and manufactured for a wide
variety of applications, including treatment of cancer
and other diseases. Dendrimers carrying different
materials on their branches can do several things
at one time, such as recognizing diseased cells,
diagnosing disease states (including cell death), drug
delivery, reporting location , and reporting outcomes
of therapy.
Nanofilms
Different nanoscale materials can be used in thin films to make them water-repellent, anti-reflective, self-cleaning, ultraviolet or infrared-resistant, antifog, anti-microbial, scratch-resistant, or electrically conductive. Nanofilms are used now on eyeglasses, computer displays, and cameras to protect or treat the surfaces.
Nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are
used in baseball bats, tennis
racquets, and some car parts
because of their greater
mechanical strength at less
weight per unit volume than
that of conventional materials.
Electronic properties of CNTs
have made them a candidate
for flat panel displays in TVs,
batteries, and other electronics.
Nanotubes for various uses
can be made of materials other
than carbon.
Nanoscale transistors
Transistors are
electronic switching
devices where a small
amount of electricity
is used like a gate to
control the flow of
larger amounts
of electricity. In
computers, the more
transistors, the greater
the power. Transistor
sizes have been
decreasing,
so computers have
become more powerful.
Now, the industry's best commercial
technology produces computer chips with features as small as 45
nanometers
Solar Plastics
Thin, flexible, lightweight rolls of plastics containing nanoscale materials are being developed that some people believe could replace traditional solar energy technologies. The nanoscale materials absorb sunlight and, in some cases, indoor light, which is converted into electrical energy. Thin-film solar cells paired with a new kind of rechargeable battery also are the subject of research today. This technology will be more widely used when researchers learn how to capture solar energy more efficiently.
Water-Filtration Techniques
Researchers are experimenting with
carbon nanotube-based membranes
for water desalination and nanoscale
sensors to identify contaminants
in water systems. Other nanoscale
materials that have great potential
to filter and purify water include
nanoscale titanium dioxide, which is
used in sunscreens and which has been
shown to neutralize bacteria, including
E. coli, in water.