What is Nanotechnology?

The idea behind Nanotechnology is that by manipulating atoms and/or molecules to build materials and structures directly, as well as by exploiting the unique properties of matter at the nanoscale (0.1 nm to 100 nm) then we are at a distinctive level where the name of Nanotechnology has been put forward to describe this kind of human engineering activity.

Obviously, here we are dealing with what we call nanostructures - a nanometre is one thousand million times smaller than a metre, about 3 - 4 atoms in width. To give you an example how small this scale is, well just imagine we blew up an orange to the size of the earth, the atoms of the orange would become visible, and the size of each atom would be about the size of a single cherry.

Another definition I came across several times concerning Nanotechnology is that - it is the result of a marriage between chemistry and engineering. It has been likened to traditional chemistry but without chemical reactions. Here we can envisage building things one atom or molecule at a time, using programmed nanoscopic robotic arms or equivalent methods. The question therefore arises .... is it possible to move one atom (or one molecule) from one location and relocate it to the desired place without difficulty - simply using the present available technology?

The answer is "yes, but with difficulty". At the same time, this process is limited at the present time. So transferring large numbers of atoms/molecules in a much faster way and on industrial scale is not yet possible - at least not with today's technology.

Therefore, to understand the above process using more sophisticated technology, we may say that by treating atoms or molecules discretely in a way similar to the process of computers treating bits of information, it may become possible to build from the bottom up anything we desire - at very little cost.

This is of course is the theory. The practical task of how to apply it, to make nanoscale-based technology as common as any technical or engineering method used today for various products, is still largely in the realm of the future. But suppose we could apply this technology today! Then this could mean an automatic construction of consumer goods without traditional human labour, as we know it. Any number of copies could be produced at a very small cost. This is where self-assembly come into the picture.

A good example of self-assembly is what is taking place in nature itself around us, i.e., molecules in a vegetable cell manipulating the atoms of soil, air and water in order to produce more copies for the growth to continue.

Manufacturing, using the principles of Nanotechnology, is expected to undergo profound changes, in the not too distant future. Advances in miniaturization will reach the level of individual atoms, and it may become possible to design and build products to atomically precise specifications.

In the USA, the U.S. Department of Defence, the National Science Foundation and NASA have extensively funded research related to Nanotechnology. Though Nanotechnology is still largely within the domain of the research laboratory, such government funding for various researches in this field will pay off eventually and handsomely in various ways, sooner or later. (By Najib Altawell)

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References

1. K. Eric Drexler "Nanosystems: molecular machinery, manufacturing, and computation", Interscience, 1992,

2. K. Eric Drexler "Engines of Creation", Anchor, 1986.

3. Drexler K. Eric; Peterson, Chris; and Pergamet, Gayle; "Unbounding the Future The Nanotechnology Revolution", Quill Press, William Morrow and Company; 1991.

4. http://www.halcyon.com/nanojbl/NanoConProc/nanocon1.html2 January 2008 18.20 hrs

5. Smalley, Richard E., Gene and Norman Hackerman Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics; and Cole, Roger; Rice University; "Initiatives in Nanotechnology" published on the World Wide Web by Rice University, 1995.

6. S. Wood, R. Jones and A. Geldart, "The Social and Economic Challenges of Nanotechnology" (A Report compiled for the UK Economic and Social Research Council, 2003).

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