In simple terms, nanotechnology can be defined as ‘engineering at a very small scale’, and this term can be applied to many areas of research and development – from medicine to manufacturing to computing, and even to textiles and cosmetics. It can be difficult to imagine exactly how this greater understanding of the world of atoms and molecules has and will affect the everyday objects we see around us, but some of the areas where nanotechnologies are set to make a difference are described below.
Sub-Areas:
The field is loosely divided into four subareas: micro and nano instruments, nanoelectronics, nano-biosystems, and nanoengineered materials. The first addresses some of the most far-reaching yet practical applications of miniature instruments for measuring atoms or molecules in chemical, clinical, or biochemical analysis; in biotechnology for agent detection; and environmental analysis. The second category, nano electronics, concerns the development of systems and materials required for the electronics industry to go beyond current technological limits – producing even finer detail than features in a high-performance microprocessor chip. Also in this category is a new generation of electronics based on plastics, which is expected to create new markets with applications ranging from smart cards to tube-like computers. The third class, nano-bio systems, can be described as molecular manipulation of biomaterials and the associated miniaturization of analytical devices such as DNA, peptide, protein, and cell chips. The last subarea, nanoengineered materials, looks at several classes of advanced materials including nano crystalline materials and nanopowders used in electronics and photonics applications, as catalysts in automobiles, in the food and pharmaceutical industries, as membranes for fuel cells, and for industrial-scale polymers.
Future Impact:
For many, nanotechnology is viewed as merely a way to make stronger and lighter tennis rackets, baseball bats, hockey sticks, racing bikes, and other athletic equipment. But nanotechnology promises to do so much more. A more realistic view is that it will leave virtually no aspect of life untouched and is expected to be in widespread use by 2020. Mass applications are likely to have great impact particularly in industry, medicine, new computing systems, and sustainability.