Nanotechnology Case

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is changing the way we live, creating new materials that are so strong they could provide a lift into space, the irony is though that nanotechnology works at the very smallest scale changing each individual molecule to create completely new materials so far scientists speculate that this could be harnessed to make diamonds or perhaps even consume the world in a green goo of nanobots.

First of all to get an idea of how small nano technology is, it has its own scale. The nanoscale is a special type of scale used specifically for measuring objects too small to be seen by the human eye, these Particles that are 1-100 nanometres in length are called nanoparticles. To get some idea of how small this is, 1 metre equals 0.000000001 nanometres. A single strand of DNA is 2nm wide and your fingernails grow a nanometre every second. Objects that are larger than nano but still too small to see are put into the microscale. One micrometer is more or less the diameter of a red blood cell and keeping in mind just how small a blood cell is I am sure you will agree that a nanometre is very very small.

Today we already have a few examples of nanotechnology in everyday life although we are still a long way from having nano-robots in our blood combating illness. Instead their uses are more humble - being used to create new materials with highly desirable properties. One useful material developed from nanotechnology are carbon nanotubes. These nanotubes are very small (about 350 nm in length) and provide a dizzying array of possibilities for builders. They are ultra lightweight as each individual nanotube is hollow, they are strong due to their structure and they are a great conductor's of electricity. Their great conductivity could create highly efficient solar panels capable of providing clean renewable energy for the masses. But at the moment all they have been used in is tennis racquets creating strong lightweight racquets that are very expensive.

My favourite use for nanotechnology today is that of the application of silver nanoparticles. Silver when at the nanoscale has the remarkable property of being able to kill bacteria. Scientists do not know why but have definitely exploited this by using it for plasters that kill bacteria as well as preventing any from reaching the wound and for providing safe drinking water for countries that are unable to get it by conventional means. Another useful thing about them is that scientists by adding silver nanoparticles to socks they have created odourless socks that kill all that bad smelling bacteria. (very useful in Wargrave!)

One very useful application has been found for nano technology and that is in the making of self-cleaning windows. These windows have been coated in (sorry window cleaners) nanoparticles of photocatalytic and hydrophilic. When these windows get dirty the photocatalytic nanoparticles break down organic matter (dirt) and the hydrophilic nanoparticles ensure that when it rains the water is spread evenly about the glass washing off the dirt.

Although these uses for nano technology are useful they are not exactly the self making diamonds or even the evil green goo scientists predicted nano technology could achieve but what exactly is it that scientists think may be possible?

One possibility for the future are 'replicators'. These machines can theoretically make anything from a cup of tea to a 50 carat diamond. Although long thought to be just a mere science fiction fantasy many scientists now believe that in the nearby future these replicators could become a reality. Scientists think that they could work by piecing together millions of atoms all in a specific arrangement to create the desired object. Trillions of replicators could fill an area smaller than a cubic millimeter, and could still be too small for us to see with the naked eye. replicators could work together to automatically construct products, and could eventually replace all traditional labor methods. This could vastly decrease manufacturing costs, thereby making consumer goods plentiful, cheaper and stronger. Eventually, we could be able to replicate