CHAPTER 7

Nanotechnology

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the topic, students can:
1. Discuss the major impacts of nanotechnology on society.
2. Analyze the issue through the conceptual Science, technology and
society.
3. Critique the issue on its costs and benefits to society.

What is nanotechnology?
To have a better understanding of the term nanotechnology, let us
define first the nano and technology separately. Nano is the usual term
used when we talk about nanometers, it is a unit of length in a metric
system that is equal to the billionth meter or equivalent to 0.000 000 001
meter. Technology is the making, usage, application and knowledge of
tools, machines and techniques, in order to solve a problem to perform a
specific function. Thus, the study of manipulating matter in atomic,
molecular, and macromolecular scales is what we called as nanoscience.
Thus nanotechnologies are the design, characterization production and
application of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and
size at nanometer scale.
A clearer view to imagine the nanoscale, consider the figure below.
Imagine the length of a regular ant or the thickness of our hair or even the
thickness of our ordinary paper. Those things are of millions or thousand
of a nanometers. Even our RBC (Red Blood Cells) is 7,000 nanometers
(7,000nm).

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 Figure 7.1. The Nanometer Scale

History of Nanotechnology

The first ever concept and importance of nanotechnology was

presented by Dr. Richard P. Feynman as early as 1959 and the term
“Nano-technology” had been coined by Norio Taniguchi in 1974. The
invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981 and the discovery
of fullerene (C60) in 1985 lead to the emergence of nanotechnology.
The early 2000s also saw the beginnings of commercial
applications of nanotechnology, but these were limited only to bulk
application of nanomaterials.

Technology Behind Nanotechnology

There are several important tools on how nanoscale materials are

made. The atomic force microscope (AFM), the first commercially
available AFM was introduced in 1989. AFM’s are one of the foremost
tools for imaging, measuring, and manipulating matter at the nanoscale.
The Scanning Tunneling Microscope (SAM) which was developed by

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Calvin Quate and coworkers in the 1970s, this instrument is used for
imaging surfaces at the atomic level. Its development in 1981 earned its
inventors, (Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer), the Nobel Prize in Physics
in 1986. A technique where an AFM is used to create patterns directly on
a range of substances with a variety of inks allowing surface patterning on
scale of under 100 nanometers is used in Dip Pen Nanolithography
(DPN). DPN is the nanotechnology analog of the dip pen, which is
coated with a chemical compound or mixture acting as an “ink,” and put in
contact with a substrate, the “paper.” Other techniques were also
developed, such as nanolithography using the electron – beam lithography
were the practice of scanning a focused beam of electrons to draw custom
shapes on a surface covered with an electron-sensitive film called a resist.
The primary advantage of electron-beam lithography is that it can draw
custom patterns (direct-write) with sub-10 nm resolution.
Researchers find it exciting since the physical and chemical
properties of matter change when they are ultra-small. By controlling the
manner in which nanometer-scale molecular structures are formed, it’s
possible to control their following properties: hardness, strength, clour,
electrical conductivity, crack resistance and melting temperature.

Nano products
As to the results of the nanotechnology, fabrication of nanotubes as
Carbon Nanotubes (CNT), Nanorods and nanobots are done.

CARBON NANOTUBES
o Allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure.
o They have a length-to-diameter ratio of up to 132,000,000:1.

❖ PROPERTIES

o Highest strength to weight ratio.

o Easily penetrate membranes such as cell walls.

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 o Electrical resistance changes significantly when other
molecules attach themselves to the carbon atoms.

❖ USES

o Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. using CNT in making bicycle

components.
o Zyvex Technologies using CNT for manufacturing of
lightweight boats.
o Replacing transistors from the silicon chips as they are
small and emits less heat.
o In electric cables and wires, solar cells
o In fabrics

NANORODS
o One morphology of nanoscale objects.
o Dimensions range from 1–100 nm.
o They may be synthesized from metals or semiconducting
materials.
o A combination of ligands act as shape control agents and bond
to different facets of the nanorod with different strengths. This
allows different faces of the nanorod to grow at different rates,
producing an elongated object.

❖ USES

o In display technologies, because the reflectivity of the rods

can be changed by changing their orientation with an
applied electric field.
o In micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS).
o In cancer therapeutics

NANOBOTS

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 o Close to the scale of 10-9.
o Largely in the R & D phase.
o Bots of 1.5 nm across, capable of counting specific
molecules in a chemical sample.
o It would be necessary for very large numbers of nanobots
to work together to perform microscopic and macroscopic
tasks.
o Capable of replication using environmental resources

❖ USES

o Detection of toxic components in the environment.

o In drug delivery.
o Biomedical instrumentation.

APPLICATIONS

With these flexibilities of nanotechnology, it has a great potential

to bring major advancement in the field of medicine, even in the field of
electronics and computing is also set to revolutionize. Nanotechnology
also transforms the process on which we can obtain, store and consume
energy while lessening its cost. It is also now used in foods, it gives
energy advantages (as in fuel cells, solar cells, batteries, even in space),
and used for the air quality, water quality, as chemical sensors, even in
sporting goods, fabric, and agriculture, and a lot more.

PITFALLS

Even with those advantages of nanotechnology but still it gives

hidden or unsuspected danger to us humans or to the whole society.
Nano-particles can get into the body through the skin, lungs and
digestive system, thus creating free radicals that can cause cell damage.

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Once nano-particles are in the bloodstream, they will be able to cross the
blood-brain barrier.
Economic market crashes, although new products made from
nanotechnology will initially be expensive but once its availability
increases, more and more can feel the impact that other materials and
technology will become obsolete, which leads to closure to some
manufacturing industries and businesses. These will also result in losses
of jobs as many go out of business. Other reason related to economic
crash of market is related to a potential lower value of oil due to more
efficient energy sources, also golds or diamonds, they are some high cost
materials that can now be reproduced with molecular manipulation
Privacy and security is also in danger, because of nanotechnology,
possibility of microscopic devices that would be virtually undetectable,
accessibility or creations of weapons of mass destruction, thus improved
atomic weaponry.
The cost of research and products made from nanoparticles is also
of great cost.
Nanobots, because of their replicating behavior can be big threat
for GRAY GOO. Potential dangers to humans and the environment. Gray
goo is a hypothetical global catastrophic scenario involving molecular
nanotechnology in which out-of-control self-replicating machines
consume all biomass on Earth while building more of themselves, a
scenario that has been called ecophagy.

RISK MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS

The following are the risk assessment problems as we deal with

nanotechnology:
- Very difficult to detect without sophisticated equipment
- Difficult to predict how particles will behave in the
environment (dispersed/clumped)

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 - Small size may result in particles passing into the body more
easily (inhalation, ingestion, absorption)
- May be more reactive due to surface area to volume ratio
- Potential to adsorb toxic chemicals
- Persistence - Longevity of particles in the environment and
body are unknown

TOXICOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES
- All structures are likely to have a unique toxicological profile
- Standardised terminology agreed recently
- Particle size may be less important than the surface
characteristics of the material
- Standard dose-response tests may not be appropriate

References:

Australian Academy of Science. 2017.

https://www.science.org.au/curious/nanotechnology

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology3.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_nanotube

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology

http://crnano.org/whatis.htm

http://www.wifinotes.com/nanotechnology/introduction-
tonanotechnolgy.html

www.iitb.ac.in/~crnts/

www.nafenindia.com/Final_Report_Nano_OK.pd

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100531082857.htm

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http://www.nanostart.de/index.php/en/nanotechnology/
nanotechnology-information/610-schneller-sparsamer-
robusternanotechnologie-in-computer-handy-a-co

Societal Implications of Nanotechnology

(http://nano.gov/html/res/home_res.html)

International Dialogue on Responsible Nanotechnoloy

(http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/nano/dialog.htm)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology#Current_research

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-
nanotechnology-37398.html

https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1935

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