What is Nanotechnology?

When we think of the construction of machines and devices we do not usually associate this with a process that can be carried out atom by atom. Rather than that, the components used for product assembly are cut out from larger blocks of a material by a range of often sophisticated engineering methods. However, some components, for example those on a computer chip, are nowadays so small, that we could indeed envisage building them up from individual atoms or molecules. The size in which this transition from classical engineering concepts to chemical assembly becomes practically feasible lies between one and a hundred nanometres. Making components in this 1 to 100 nm size regime and assThere are many good reasons for this. Here are a few examples: 1. You are fascinated by what Nanotechnology promises to do for us in the future, and you want to work in this exciting new field. You can do this by studying chemistry, physics, engineering, biology, biochemistry or a hand full of other subjects, and after you finish your degree, you begin to specialise in Nanotechnology. Alternatively, a degree in Chemistry with Nanotechnology will give you a significant head start, which may be just what you need to obtain the desired job in Nanotechnology. 2. You want to become a chemist but you would like to have an additional skill base to maximise the range of future job opportunities. All chemistry degrees offer excellent job prospects. The range of possibilities becomes even wider for students with additional qualifications. In the case of Chemistry with Nanotechnology this will include industrial opportunities in electronics, semiconductors, medical diagnostics, energy conversion and storage, cosmetics and catalysis to name only a few important areas. Also bear in mind that Nanotechnology is widely regarded as an up and coming field, and nano-literacy may soon become as highly sought after as computer literacy was 20 years ago. 3. You are determined to work in Nanotechnology, but you are not sure if this field will really have the brilliant future it promises. Some universities offer new degree courses in Nanotechnology, which would be a good option for you as you already know that this is your specialty area of choice. However, your concern is also valid. Nobody can foresee with certainty what is going to happen in the future, and other technologies may arise and dominate the job scene making it more difficult for the specialist with a degree in Nanotechnology. Chemistry, on the other hand, will always be at the core of industrial activity, and you can use your chemistry degree as a fall back option just in case the jobs in Nanotechnology happen to be fewer than what we are all expecting at the moment. 4. You liked sciences at school but you could never quite decide which one to study at university. Chemistry with Nanotechnology is an ideal choice. The syllabus contains extra training in physics and biology, and students research projects in Nanotechnology tend to be interdisciplinary and are often co-supervised by Lecturers and Professors from other Science departments. You will thus get a broader, and for you possibly more satisfactory training in sciences other than Chemistry. 5. You did not get into medicine but you still want to work in a related field. Medicine is expected to be revolutionized by nanotechnology, and an increasing number of experts will work alongside medics to provide expertise, for example with new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches based on Nanotechnology. This is comparable to the current need of engineers and physicist

History of Nanotechnology

Richard Feynman was the first scientist to suggest that devices and materials could

someday be fabricated to atomic specifications: "The principles of physics, as far as I can see, do not speak against the possibility of maneuvering things atom by atom." Later the term nanotechnology was coined. Today nanotechnology is reshaping technology. A short History of Nanotechnology

For the General Reader

Nanotechnology is a group of emerging technologies in which the structure of matter is controlled at the nanometer scale, the scale of small numbers of atoms, to produce novel materials and devices that have useful and unique properties. Some of these technologies impose only limited control of structure at the nanometer scale, but they are already in use, producing useful products. They are also being further developed to produce even more sophisticated products in which the structure of matter is more precisely controlled. The Foresight Nanotechnology Challenges focus on applying these developing technologies to solving important world problems. Foresight has had a long-standing interest in the capabilities that await at the other end of this development process, when advanced nanotechnology will enable construction of complex systems in which each individual atom is specified and serves a designed function in the system. To read about these capabilities and their consequences: Introductions to Nanotechnology for the General Reader

For the Technical Reader

Technical introductions to advanced nanotechnology have emphasized theoretical studies of what our current knowledge of physics and chemistry tells us about the kinds of systems we will eventually be able to build as our ability to control the structure of matter at the nanometer scale increases. Although the best path from current experimental abilities to building advanced systems is not yet clear, several authors have described some good possibilities. Introductions to Nanotechnology for the Technical Reader

Nanotechnology FAQs
What is Nanotechnology? ?

Molecular Manufacturing
Molecular manufacturing is the name given to the proposal that molecular machine systems will eventually be able to manufacture most objects, including large objects, from the molecule up, building complex products with atomic precision. The proposal that advanced nanotechnology will include artificial molecular machine systems capable of building complex systems to atomic precision has been controversial

within the scientific community. In general, proponents have argued from the grounds of theoretical analysis coupled with the existence of multiple plausible implementation pathways from current technology, while opponents have been unimpressed with theoretical arguments in the absence of direct experimental demonstration of crucial milestones. What is Molecular Manufacturing?

Why you should care about molecular nanotechnology

This essay series includes contributions from nanotechnology thinkers offering their understanding as to why everyone should care about the potential and power of nanotechnology. Why care about nanotechnology?
s, who develop, build and run modern diagnostic equipment such as MRI scannersembling them into devices is Nanotechnology.