Transcript Nanotechnology – What is It?

Nanotechnology – What is It?
In the Nevada desert, an experiment
has gone horribly wrong. A cloud of
nanoparticles -- micro-robots -- has
escaped from the laboratory. This cloud
is self-sustaining and self-reproducing.
It is intelligent and learns from
experience. For all practical purposes, it
is alive.
It has been programmed as a predator. It
is evolving swiftly, becoming more
deadly with each passing hour.
Every attempt to destroy it has failed.
And we are the prey.
So what does “nanotechnology” really mean?
• Nano = 10-9,
100nm in size
• 1” = __???__ nm
we examined this prefix yesterday
, particles from 125.4 million
• Thickness of sheet of paper = __???__nm 100,000
• Your fingernails grow __???__ nm per second. 1
• Thickness of cell membrane = __???__ nm 9
• __???__ hydrogen atoms lined in a row = 1 nm
in length 10 atoms
• We make stuff (cars, pencils, soap, Oreos)
from atoms.
• The properties of those products depend on
how those atoms are arranged.
graphite
diamond
Today’s
manufacturing
methods move
atoms in great
thundering
statistical herds
“The principles of
physics, as far as I can
see, do not speak
against the possibility
of maneuvering
things atom by atom.
It is not an attempt to
violate any laws; it is
something, in
principle, that can be
done; but in practice,
it has not been done
because we are too
big.”
Richard Feynman, 1959
How will this be better???
• Get essentially every atom in the right
place
• Inexpensive manufacturing costs &
creates less waste
Atomic force microscope moves atoms
“Bottom-up” manufacturing
Possible arrangements of atoms
What we can make today
(not to scale)
.
gear
bearing
6
Substances can change their
properties when the size of the
particles in the substance is
sooooo tiny.
Like what? Diff color, mp,
conductivity, solubility,
magnetism, reactivity… can
result.
Nanotechnology is a real field you
could take classes about in college!
Nov 2010
Examples?
Buckminster Fuller
1895-1983
Buckyballs (C60)
Who discovered buckyballs?
Richard Smalley - Rice Univ, Texas
Harold Kroto
Robert Curl
1996 Nobel in Chemistry
How is this nanotechnology?
Unique props v.s. graphite or diamond
•squeezable
•even more inert
•can fit other molecules inside it
Properties?
•high electrical conductivity
•stronger than steel
•high thermal conductivity
Nanotubes
Cool, but what can we do w/ fullerenes/nanotubes?
•Thinner electric wires w/ less mass
•Medicine delivery systems
•Environmental clean-up
•Light-weight building materials…
Tower of
multi-walled
C tubes
Nanowire wrapped around hair
Can we exploit nanoscale properties of other
substances besides carbon compounds?
quantum dots - metal semiconductors (Cd & Se),
2-10nm in size
What uses do quantum dots have?
1. Solar energy cells – 3x as efficient as current ones
2. Attach to specific cells
•diagnose medical problems
What other non-carbon nanotechnology
innovations are there?
Ferrofluid!
Other Uses of Nanotechnology?
tennis balls that last longer
tennis rackets that are stronger
golf balls that fly straighter
nano ski wax that is more slippery
bowling balls that are harder
nano car wax that fills in tiny cracks & is shinier
nano socks that don’t “stink” due to Ag nanoparticles
Computers that are faster & more powerful
Bandages embedded with silver nanoparticles
drug delivery via a patch!
Man-made skin
pharmaceuticals utilizing “bucky ball” technology to
selectively deliver drugs
toilet
http://www.toto.co.jp/en/products/technology/cefion.htm
Nanopants –channel 5 news
http://www.nanotex.com/news/tv_coverage.html
Ice repelling and water bouncing:
http://www.ge.com/audio_video/ge/innovation/the_water_bounce_sequel_repelling_ice_with_nan
o_coatings.html
Optimistic predictions are that nanotech will have
greater scientific impact on society than the
industrial revolution or advances in genomics. It
ties together all the science fields (geology,
materials sci, biology…) b/c it involves atoms &
mcs, things that are the building blocks for rocks,
foods, proteins….