MR.

JOSHUA BIDES, LPT

Instructor

LESSON 12: THE NANO WORLD

At the end of this lesson the students should be able to:

define nanotechnology;
characterize nanoscale;
describe the various uses of nanotechnology;
discuss concerns on the use of nanotechnology; and
explain the status of the use of nanotechnology in the Philippines.

Scientific researchers have developed new technological tools that greatly improve
different aspects of our lives. The use of nanoscale is one important interdisciplinary area
generated by advancement in science and technology. Scientists and engineers were able to build
materials with innovative properties as they manipulate nanomaterials. Indeed, research and
application of knowledge on nanomaterials will continue to bring widespread implications in
various areas of the society, especially health care, environment, energy, food, water, and
agriculture.

What is Nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology refers to the science, engineering, and technology and conducted at the
nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers (NNI, 2017). Nanoscience and nanotechnology
employ the study and application of exceptionally small things in other areas of science
including materials science, engineering, physics, biology, and chemistry (NNI,2017). The
concepts of nanotechnology and nanoscience started in December 29, 1959 when Physicist
Richard Feynman discussed a method in which scientists can direct and control individual atoms
and molecules in his talk “there’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” during the American Physical
Society meeting at the California Institute of Technology. The term “Nanotechnology” was
coined by Professor Norio Taniguchi a decade after the dawn of the use of ultraprecision
machining (NNI, 2017).

How Small is a Nanoscale?

A nanometer is a billionth meter, or 10`9 of a meter. The illustration below shows how
small nanoscale is compared to other particles or materials.
Manipulation of nanomaterials needs an adept understanding of their types and
dimensions. The various types of nanomaterials are classified according to their individual
shapes and sizes. They may be particles, tubes, wires, films, flakes, or shells that have one or
more nanomaterials and dimensions. One should be able to view and manipulate them so that we
can take advantage of their exceptional characteristics.

How to View Nanomaterials?

1.Electron microscope German engineers Ernst Ruska and Max built the first electron
microscope during the 1930s. this type of microscope utilize a particle beam of electrons to light
up a specimen and develop a well-magnified image. Electron microscopes produce higher and
better resolution than older light microscopes because they can magnify objects up to a million
times while conventional light microscopes can magnify objects up to 1,500 times only.
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) are the two
general types of electron microscope.
2. Atomic Force microscope (AFM) It was first developed by Gerd Binig, Calvin Quate, and
Christoph Gerber in 1986. It makes use of a mechanical probe that gathers information from the
surface of a material.
3. Scanning tunneling microscope This special type of microscope enables scientists to view
and manipulate nanoscale particles, atoms, and small molecules. In 1986, Gerd Binig and
Heinrich Rohrer won the Nobel Prize in Physics because of this invention.

Nanomanufacturing
It refers to scaled-up, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing of nanoscale materials,
structures, devices, and systems. It also involves Research, improvement, and incorporation of
processes for the construction of materials. Therefore, nanomanufacturing leads to the
development of new products and improved materials. There are two Fundamental approaches to
nanomanufacturing, either bottom-up or top-down (NNI, 2017)
1. Bottom-up fabrication It manufactures products by building them up from atomic- and
molecular-scale components. However, this method can be time-consuming. Scientists and
engineers are still in search for effective ways of putting up together molecular components that
self-assemble and from the Bottom-up to organize structures.
2. Top-down fabrication It trims down large pieces of materials into nanoscale. This process
needs larges amounts of materials and discards excess raw materials.

There are new approaches to the assembly of nanomaterials based from the application of
principles in Top-down and Bottom-up fabrication. These include:
1. Dip pen lithography It is a method in which the tip of an atomic force microscope is
“dipped” into a chemical fluid and then utilized to “write” on a surface, like an old-fashioned ink
pen onto paper.
2. Self-assembly It depicts an approach wherein a set of components join together to mold an
organized structure in the absence of an outside direction.
3. Chemical vapor deposition It is a procedure wherein chemicals act in response to form very
pure, high-performance films.
4. Nanoimprint lithography It is a method of generating nanoscale attributes by “stamping” or
“printing” them onto a surface.
5. Molecular beam epitaxy It is one manner for depositing extremely controlled thin films.
6. Roll-to-roll processing It is a high-volume practice for constructing nanoscale devices on a
roll of ultrathin plastic or metal.
7. Atomic layer epitaxy It is a means for laying down one-atom-thick layers on a surface.

With the use of these techniques, nanomaterials are made more durable, stronger, lighter,
water-repellent, ultraviolet-or-infrared-resistant, scratch-resistant, electrically conductive,
antireflective, antifog, antimicrobial, self-cleaning, among others. The abovementioned
characteristics lead to the manufacture of the present variety of nanotechnology-enabled products
such as tennis rackets and baseball bats to catalysts for purifying crude oil and ultrasensitive
recognition and classification of biological and chemical toxins. It is not impossible that in the
near future, computers that are better, more efficient, with larger storage of memory, faster, and
energy-saving will be developed. Soon, the entire memory of a computer will be saved in a
single tiny chip. However, nanotechnology has the potential to construct high-efficiency, low-
cost batteries and solar cells.

Distinct Features of Nanoscale

Nanotechnology involves operating at a very small dimension and it allows scientists to

make use of the exceptional optical, chemical, physical, mechanical, and biology qualities of
materials of that small scale (NNI, 2017). The following are distinct features of nanoscale:

1. Scale at which much biology occurs. Various activities of the cells take place at the
nanoscale. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) serves as the genetic material of the cell and is
only about 2 nanometers in diameter. Furthermore, the hemoglobin that transports oxygen to the
tissues throughout the body is 5.5 nanometers in diameter.
2. Scale at which quantum effects dominate properties of materials. Particles with
dimensions of 1-100 nanometers have properties that are significantly from particles of bigger
dimensions. Quantum effects direct the behavior and properties in this size scale. The properties
of materials are highly dependent on their size. Among the essential properties of nanoscale that
change as a function of size include chemical reactivity, fluorescence, magnetic permeability,
melting point, and electrical conductivity.
3. Nanoscale materials have far larger surface areas than similar masses of larger-scale
materials. As we increase the surface area per mass of a particular material, a greater amount of
the material comes in contact with another material and can affect its reactivity.

Government Funding for Nanotechnology in Different Countries (Dayrit,2005)

1. U.S National Nanotechnology Initiative The best-known and most-funded program is the
National Nanotechnology Initiative of the United States. The NNI was established in 2001 to
coordinate U.S federal nanotechnology R&D. The NNI budget in 2008 and 2009 were
$1.4billion and $1.5billion, respectively.
2. European Commission In February 2008, the EC officially launched the European
Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council (ENIAC).
3. Japan (Nanotechnology Research Institute, under the National Institute for Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology, AIST)
4. Taiwan (Taiwan National Science and Technology Program for Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology)
5. India (Nanotechnology Research and Education Foundation)
6. China (National Center for Nanoscience and Technology) .
7. Israel (Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative)
8.Australia (Australia Office of Nanotechnology)
9.Canada (National Institute for Nanotechnology Initiative)
10. South Korea (Korea National Nanotechnology Initiative)
11. Thailand (National Nanotechnology Center or NANOTEC)
12. Malaysia (National [Malaysia] Nanotechnology Initiatives or NNI)

Possible Applications of Nanotechnology in the Philippines (Dayrit, 2005)

1.ICT and semiconductors
2. Health and medicine
3.Energy
4.Food and agriculture
5.Environment

Nanotech Roadmap for the Philippines (funded by PCAS-TRD-DOST)

1.ICT and semiconductors
2. Health and biomedical
3.Energy
4.Environment
5. Agriculture and food
6. Health and environment risk
7. Nano-metrology
8. Education and public awareness

Benefits and Concerns of Using Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology has various applications in different sectors of the society and
environment. Salamanca-Buentello et al. (2005) proposed an initiative called “Addressing Global
Challenges Using Nanotechnology” to accelerate the use of Nanotechnology to address critical
sustainable development challenges. They suggested a model that could help figure out the
possible contributions of the community in overcoming global challenges that pose risk on health
and other aspects of peoples lives. However, there are concerns that need to be addressed before
using and promoting materials derived from nanotechnology (Dayrit, 2005) Nanotechnology is
not a single technology; it may become pervasive. Nanotechnology seeks to develop new
materials with specific properties. Nanotechnology may introduce new efficiencies and
paradigms which may make some natural resources and current practices uncompetitive or
obsolete. It may be complicated to detect its presence unless one has the specialist tools of
nanotechnology.