Another everyday reality for future drivers are windscreens that no longer steam up, or paint that no longer gets dirty or surfaces that can heal itself should they be scratched. Entertainment could receive a facelift with broader adoption of paint-on television screens. Some of these innovations are hard to imagine today, but many of these are likely to make their way into our lives sooner than we think. Nanotechnology is the key enabler for these developments.
From the way we take our coffee to how drugs are delivered in our body, nanotechnology truly has the potential to change every aspect of our lives.
Nanotechnology is a body of knowledge often defined by its size and scale of implementation. It is perceived not only as the engineering on a scale of a billionth of a meter, but the creation of novel products with added functionality. The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) has defined the term as the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 nanometer to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications.
The most important aspect of nanotechnology is the novel properties that a nanosized material can offer that its micro- or macro-sized counterpart cannot. The novel properties are due to two factors: (1) at the nanoscale, materials have a very high surface-to-volume ratio and (2) the "nano" dimensions approach characteristic quantum wave function scale excitations. Thus, the physical dimension of materials and particles in the nano range obtain a set of properties in addition to that traditionally provided by composition and structure.
Some key property enhancements facilitated by nanotechnology are expected to provide solutions to specific applications level technological problems and requirements.
However, a nanotechnology revolution that would have an enormous impact on future technology advances making the technologies today seem redundant has not occurred as some expected it to. Nanotechnology has been evolving over the years, slowly making its way into everyday products. It is an enabling technology, often enabling applications at a fundamental level.
After more than three decades of basic and applied research, nanotechnologies are finally emerging from the labs and entering commercial use. Currently, nanomaterials have been incorporated in electronic, cosmetics, automotive, medical and consumer products. According to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, the nanotechnology consumer products inventory contains more than 800 products or product lines. This represents a massive explosion of nano products in the past 2 or 3 years considering that when the inventory was first started in 2006, the number of products was estimated as 212. Currently, the largest main category of products fall under the health and fitness domain, which includes cosmetics, clothing, personal care, sporting goods, sunscreen and filtration. Further, the inventory now includes products from 21 different countries with companies based in the United States having the most products.
The nano developments that we are witnessing today are simply the tip of the iceberg. Many more applications are in the pipeline. While tracking the evolution of nanotechnology-based products, it is evident that before 2005, the focus of development mostly related to passive nano products that include sunscreens, tennis rackets, golf balls, stain resistant clothing and so on. Currently, the focus has shifted to the development of active products such as self-healing materials, self-cleaning coatings, materials that convert sunlight or stress into electricity, nanofoods such as fat-free donuts, and packaging materials that increase the shelf life of foods. In the near future these concepts may be stretched further to offer innovative products. For instance, processed food giant Kraft has taken a lead by setting up NanoteK, a consortium to develop nanotechnology food applications. The firm hopes to develop nanocapsules that can enable "programmable food," which is truly a next-generation application. These nanocapsules can carry numerous flavors, nutrients or even colors that can be release at different temperatures in a colorless beverage. A consumer can choose the flavor or color of the beverage by setting the microwave to the right frequency. The impact of nanotechnology on some key applications in the next 20 years has been highlighted above.
In the automotive and aerospace sectors, nanotechnology is expected to have a pervasive effect on the future of components and manufacturing processes. Nanocomposites and nanocoatings are the classes of materials that are receiving increased attention with regard to these applications. Current implementation of nanotechnology in the automotive sector includes coatings that incorporate nanofillers to provide a durable, ultrascratch-resistant, and self-cleaning paint surface. As an example, U.S.-based Advanced Refinish Technologies' multifunctional nanocoatings called NanoClear have been designed to extend the life of automotive aftermarket paint, automotive OEM paint, and industrial, military and marine paint surfaces. These nanocoatings allow producing an ultrascratch-resistant and self-cleaning paint surface.
For aerospace applications, nanocomposite "smart" coating materials are being designed by researchers to re-arrange their structure and chemistry on demand to adapt to variable surface conditions. These materials are also touted as "chameleon materials" because of their ability to change their surface chemistry and structure to avoid wear. Other near-term applications include the use of polymer-nanotube composites for antistatic or electromagnetic interference shielding applications; the use of nanotechnology-based fuel additives to modify the combustion process of the fuel so that it burns more efficiently and productively; ultra-strong lightweight materials for body panels, among others. In the aerospace sector as well, the current focus is on enhancing mechanical and thermal properties at lower particle loading vis-a-vis conventional materials. In the longer term, nanotechnology is expected to play a key role in morphing vehicles. BMW's shape-shifting concept car and NASA's morphing program for aircraft wings are simply glimpses of things to come.
The research community as well as the corporate sector has only now begun to comprehend the value addition that nanotechnology can provide for medical applications. Nanomaterials can facilitate enhancement of mechanical properties of medical devices such as catheters, stent-delivery balloons and implants, among others. As an example, Foster, a biomaterial solutions provider, offers Nanomed nanocomposites that have the capability of increasing the rigidity and stiffness while maintaining the polymer's inherent elongation. These materials are suitable for thin wall applications such as tubing and film. Nanotechnology is also expected to play a crucial role in targeted drug delivery. A number of firms are working in this space. For example, Avidimer Therapeutics, a company based in Ann Arbor, Mich., has developed a delivery platform based on the dendrimer technology. The firm's development consists of an inert scaffold of dendrimers, which is linked to a therapeutic or diagnostic molecule and a target vector. The target vector would serve as a guidance system that would direct the drug to the specific site. In the future, DNA linked nanoparticles could possibly allow clinical gene diagnosis and nanobots may one day enable repair of vital tissue damaged by injury or disease, or destroy cancerous tissue that has gone awry, unblock arteries, without invasive surgery.
With regard to progress pertaining to nanoelectronics, miniaturization is the drive behind these development efforts. Research pertaining to nanoelectronics revolves around solid-state quantum effect nanoelectronic devices and molecular electronic devices. Nanomaterials are being investigated for electronic devices such as transistors, flexible electronics, displays and memory devices, to name a few. Particularly, CNT-based nanocomposites are expected to find their way into devices such as flat-panel prototype devices, organic light-emitting diodes, random access memories CNT-atomic force microscope tips, and CNT-scanning electron microscope/transmission electron microscope tips.
The electronics industry poses promising opportunities for nanotechnology, as it is expected that nano-based structures and materials can allow achieving device geometries at 22 nm and below, which is difficult to achieve with conventional silicon technology. Overall, it can be said that in the next five years we can see the advent of high-speed computing devices and nanostructured flat panel displays. Working in this direction, John Rogers and his research group at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign are looking at large-area electronics in general, display-related applications in particular, with flexible electronics being a main driver. In the next 10 to 15 years nanoelectronics would possibly witness the proliferation of extremely scaled silicon complimentary metal oxide semiconductor type of applications, molecular electronics, self-assembled devices, materials and systems, and others. Another key area that is aimed at, which is at present a horizon technology, is the quantum computer. Although quantum computing devices are at least 25 years from development, the basic nanoscale building blocks of such quantum device architectures are already being explored at the basic research level.
It has been forecasted that by 2015 over 2 million workers will be engaged in nanotech-related jobs and it would be a $3 trillion industry. This projected growth has made it important to establish a suitable risk governance framework for nanotechnology that can support effective planning and investment. With engineered nanomaterials already making their way into the food chain it is imperative to act fast with regard to evaluating risks, performing life cycle assessments, setting down standards for measurement and laying down an appropriate regulatory framework.
According to a Frost & Sullivan report, published research over the past five years in the area of nanotechnology toxicity has revealed that 42 percent of the studies find that the nanomaterials tested to be harmful. This should provide the impetus for the various governing organizations to invest in nanotechnology risk assessments and to develop regulations for nanomaterials and nanotechnology. It has been noticed that the total nanotechnology funding had increased from 2005 to 2009 by $327 million with the increase in the HSE funding for the same duration to be $41.6 million. This means that the overall increase in the HSE funding has been 12.7 percent of the total increase in the nanotechnology funding for the same duration.
Although this trend highlights the importance given by the U.S. government in developing research methodologies for undertaking the HSE studies of nanotechnology, Andrew Maynard, chief science advisor for the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Wilson Center, calculates that at least $50 million per year must be invested in targeted, highly relevant research into the risks of nanotechnology.
Current risk research strategies are weak and do not address the knowledge gaps appropriately. Existing regulations have been found to be inadequate to address nano risks because they are based on assumptions that don't directly apply to nanotechnology. David Rejeski, the director of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies has called for the White House and federal agency policymakers to maximize the use of existing laws to improve nanotechnology oversight. Such measures would typically include defining nanomaterials as new substances under federal toxics and food laws, thereby enabling the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration to consider the novel qualities and effects of nanomaterials. Current laws that may require revision to accommodate nanotechnology include the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Consumer Product Safety Act.
Despite the developments and the wide variety of nano products that we know of today, nanotechnology is still very much a work in progress with the potential to deliver a range of benefits for future applications. As of now, only rudimentary nanostructures are being used to make improvements in existing materials and systems. Novel nanotechnology applications with radical capabilities and implications are foreseen across application sectors such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, medicine, food, textiles, construction, energy, environment and security.Nanotechnology is thus considered to be of strategic importance as it will influence almost every major industry in the future.
The delivery of technologies that could create paradigm shifts in the industry would require continued investments from both the public and private sectors. The 2010 Budget provides $1.6 billion for the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) reflecting steady growth in NNI investment. The Obama administration is set to further expand America's nanotechnology efforts, with additional federal R&D investment, including in the energy sector. Government support for nanotechnology R&D appears to be a global trend as governments in Europe, China, Japan, and other countries have also greatly expanded their investments in nanotechnology R&D over the years. The economic stimulus packages offered by various governments have focused on infrastructure development, energy, transportation and technology research. These stimulus packages have created further opportunities for various governmental and non-governmental organizations to focus on nanotechnology research and commercialization programs. However, for seamless progress of nanotechnologies, the industry at this point must give equal focus on issues of health, society and environment as it does to the commercialization of the technology.