Nanotechnology's Past, Present, and Future
Where did nanotechnology originate from, where is it now, and where will it take us?
While nanomaterials may be seen as a product of the 21st century, it is actually a technology which humankind has been using for thousands of years. This is because, at the nanoscale, materials exhibit enhanced electrical, mechanical, optical, and catalytic capabilities that far exceed their conventional counterparts—something which the ancients were unknowingly aware of.
Nanotechnology in the Past
The earliest evidence of nanotechnology being applied is from India in the 7th century BC where craftsmen had developed a metallurgy technique for making wootz steel. The process created a superior product which benefitted from a structure which included carbon nanotubes and cementite nanowires.
During the Middle Ages and later potters began employing glazes which gave their pots a special lustre. These new raw materials were often created by Muslims who were prohibited from using precious metals in their art, so looked for methods to achieve the same impression without using gold. The techniques they devised resulted in the (accidental) creation of silver and copper nanoparticles which added a glisten to the surface of their pottery.
However, a true scientific understanding of nanotechnology was first formed by theoretical physicists during the 1920’s. These ideas were expanded over the following decades, until the first nanomaterials began to be synthesised in laboratories in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Nanotechnology Today
It did not take scientists and industrialists long to realise the significance of these new materials and how they could be applied across a wide range of industries due to their unique and remarkable properties.
In today’s automotive industry, for example, nanoparticles are incorporated into tyres to improve traction and wear resistance, while nanocomposites strengthen vehicle frames and bodies. The electronics sector leverages nanomaterials to produce smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient computer chips, displays, and batteries. Manufacturers also harness the antimicrobial qualities of nanomaterials to create self-cleaning, germ-resistant surfaces for hospitals, food processing plants, and consumer products.
The versatility of nanomaterials is further highlighted in the field of medicine, where they are revolutionizing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Nanoparticles can be engineered to precisely target and deliver drugs to diseased cells, improving treatment efficacy and minimizing side effects. While nanoscale biosensors are empowering early disease detection, while nanofibres are used to fabricate scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Additionally, nanomaterials are increasingly used to make advanced composites for manufacturing anything from rubber tubes and yachts, to bicycles and food packaging.
Nanotechnology in the Future
While predictions about future technology are often wildly inaccurate, the fact that nanotechnology is already being applied in the cutting-edge fields of pharmaceuticals, quantum computing, next-generation batteries, and aerospace design gives some indication of future applications.
Nanomaterials used in construction, for example, are showing signs of providing self-healing properties, meaning that cracks can be repaired by nanoparticles mixed into the concrete before setting. Nanomaterial sensors can also be used to warn of aging concrete, which can then send an alert to engineers on the safety of a bridge or building. Similar sensors can also be applied to advanced metallic or polymer composites, allowing alerts to be sent for cracking or stressed aircraft parts.
Nanomaterials can also be used to build sensors so small that they can be printed onto rolls of low-cost plastic. This opens up the possibility of placing sensors in food packaging to alert when food is aging or if a product has been tampered with or contaminated.
Moreover, as the inclusion of nanomaterials enable manufacturers to get more out of less (more durable tyres, stronger plastics, long-lasting coatings etc.), their use is actually environmentally more sustainable than conventional raw materials.
As Mihail C. Roco is senior adviser for nanotechnology to the National Science Foundation and a key architect of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, notes, “[Nanotechnology] should also help the environment through more efficient use of resources and better methods of pollution control.”
Tailor-Made Nanotechnology
A further key process for the future development of nanomaterials is through made-to-order nanotechnology. This is a mechanism where manufacturers simply list the properties which they would like their products to have, and nanomaterial specialists develop a raw material which can provide those advances.
Such a system is already in place at the nanotechnology research centre run by POLYMER NANO CENTRUM in the Czech Republic. Through collaboration with several scientific institutes as well as its own in-house researchers, the company (which sponsors this webpage) allows manufacturers to request how they would like their polymers, rubbers, or resins to perform. Through their expertise, they can then provide the method for making materials stronger, crack resistant, thermally conductive, or other unique selling point.
For example, POLYMER NANO CENTRUM has provided nanotechnology to make epoxy resins more electrically conductive which reduce the build-up of static electricity which can be extremely damaging in in workspaces handling high-end electronics or explosives.
The company was also approached by a client who wanted a chemically resistant coating to apply to the wagons used in a toxic mining location. This was duly developed and provided.
In each of these industries, the use of tailor-made nanotechnology and nanomaterials as industrial raw materials has the potential to lead to significant improvements in performance, efficiency, and sustainability. This can result in the development of innovative products and processes that meet the evolving needs of the modern world.
As Roco concludes, “Over time, nanotechnology should benefit every industrial sector and health care field.”
To learn more about made-to-order nanotechnologies, visit POLYMER NANO CENTRUM or contact info@polymernanocentrum.cz
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