01-10-2012, 11:28 AM
Nanotechnology – The issues
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Nanotechnology provides the potential for significant advances over the next 50 years.
Applications will be broad, including; health care, medicine, security, electronics,
communications and computing.
The present study should look at clarifying the definition of nanotechnology. At present the
term is used to encompass a wide spectrum of nanoscience, from nanoparticles in sunscreen
to the production of ‘nanobots’ for in vivo medical applications. In defining nanotechnology,
distinctions need to be made between ‘science’ and ‘technology’. A narrower definition of the
type of ‘technology’ covered by the term may also be considered, limiting nanotechnology to
technology producing functional devices fabricated and operating on the scale of nanometres,
such as molecular machines and molecular electronic devices. Nanotechnology is also seen
by some as a young but growing area of research which given time, will define itself more
clearly.
Nanotechnology is intrinsically multidisciplinary, reliant on the basic science, analytical
techniques and methodologies of a number of disciplines including: chemistry, physics,
electrical engineering, materials science and molecular biology. Success in nanotechnology
will require scientists and engineers to acknowledge a new multidisciplinary way of working. It
is however important to recognise that this new field is reliant on the collaboration of
academics highly skilled in their own disciplines and for nanotechnology to flourish, existing
core science must be well supported.
Nanotechnology is often represented by two fundamentally different approaches; ‘top-down’
and ‘bottom-up’. ‘Top-down’ refers to making nanoscale structures by machining, templating
and lithographic techniques, whereas ‘bottom-up’, or molecular nanotechnology, applies to
building organic and inorganic materials into defined structures, atom-by-atom or moleculeby-
molecule, often by self-assembly or self-organisation. It is clear that both methodologies
are likely to be important in the delivery and application of this new science and technology.
Chemists are involved in numerous areas of nanotechnology including the synthesis of
inorganic, organic and hybrid nano-materials for use in nano-devices, the development of
novel nano-analytical techniques, the manipulation of biological molecules such as DNA and
the evolution of molecular machines. Much of chemistry already involves the control of
nanodimensional objects and/or the self-assembly of molecules into larger structures.
Polymer chemists and those interested in liquid crystals already practice nanoscience and the
active area of supramolecular chemistry impinges directly on nanoscience and technology.
The future applications of nanotechnology could be immense and varied. It is important that
the potential benefits of this area are communicated to the public by the Royal Society and
others and that the public is engaged in the debate about these benefits. Proper
communication of potential benefits will ensure wide support. It is however crucial that
expectations of the opportunities afforded by nanotechnology are both upbeat and realistic.
Over-blown claims for nanotechnology will not help in communicating the reality of scientific
progress and in differentiating between science and science-fiction. Some present and
possible future applications for nanotechnology with a suggested time-frame are given below.
It must be recognised that the real rewards of nanotechnology are likely to be many years
away. It should also be noted that not all of the technological challenges we face will be
solvable by simply reducing the physical dimensions of existing materials.
[attachment=34885]
Nanotechnology provides the potential for significant advances over the next 50 years.
Applications will be broad, including; health care, medicine, security, electronics,
communications and computing.
The present study should look at clarifying the definition of nanotechnology. At present the
term is used to encompass a wide spectrum of nanoscience, from nanoparticles in sunscreen
to the production of ‘nanobots’ for in vivo medical applications. In defining nanotechnology,
distinctions need to be made between ‘science’ and ‘technology’. A narrower definition of the
type of ‘technology’ covered by the term may also be considered, limiting nanotechnology to
technology producing functional devices fabricated and operating on the scale of nanometres,
such as molecular machines and molecular electronic devices. Nanotechnology is also seen
by some as a young but growing area of research which given time, will define itself more
clearly.
Nanotechnology is intrinsically multidisciplinary, reliant on the basic science, analytical
techniques and methodologies of a number of disciplines including: chemistry, physics,
electrical engineering, materials science and molecular biology. Success in nanotechnology
will require scientists and engineers to acknowledge a new multidisciplinary way of working. It
is however important to recognise that this new field is reliant on the collaboration of
academics highly skilled in their own disciplines and for nanotechnology to flourish, existing
core science must be well supported.
Nanotechnology is often represented by two fundamentally different approaches; ‘top-down’
and ‘bottom-up’. ‘Top-down’ refers to making nanoscale structures by machining, templating
and lithographic techniques, whereas ‘bottom-up’, or molecular nanotechnology, applies to
building organic and inorganic materials into defined structures, atom-by-atom or moleculeby-
molecule, often by self-assembly or self-organisation. It is clear that both methodologies
are likely to be important in the delivery and application of this new science and technology.
Chemists are involved in numerous areas of nanotechnology including the synthesis of
inorganic, organic and hybrid nano-materials for use in nano-devices, the development of
novel nano-analytical techniques, the manipulation of biological molecules such as DNA and
the evolution of molecular machines. Much of chemistry already involves the control of
nanodimensional objects and/or the self-assembly of molecules into larger structures.
Polymer chemists and those interested in liquid crystals already practice nanoscience and the
active area of supramolecular chemistry impinges directly on nanoscience and technology.
The future applications of nanotechnology could be immense and varied. It is important that
the potential benefits of this area are communicated to the public by the Royal Society and
others and that the public is engaged in the debate about these benefits. Proper
communication of potential benefits will ensure wide support. It is however crucial that
expectations of the opportunities afforded by nanotechnology are both upbeat and realistic.
Over-blown claims for nanotechnology will not help in communicating the reality of scientific
progress and in differentiating between science and science-fiction. Some present and
possible future applications for nanotechnology with a suggested time-frame are given below.
It must be recognised that the real rewards of nanotechnology are likely to be many years
away. It should also be noted that not all of the technological challenges we face will be
solvable by simply reducing the physical dimensions of existing materials.