Nanotechnology

What is it?

Study

Design

Creation

characterization

of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and size at

Future Applications/ Benefits

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower woman Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases Ensure environmental sustainability Develop a global partnership for development Energy

Food and Agriculture Healthcare

Reduce energy consumption through better insulation system. Higher quality, more sustainable food production Nanotechnology holds enormous potential to revolutionize healthcare Make water treatment affordable for the masses To solve challenges faced by ICT industry To improving the efficiency of waste disposal site cleanups, treatment of air pollutants, and wastewater treatment

Water treatment Information and communicati Pollution remediation

Nanotechnology offers the ability to build large numbers of products that are incredibly powerful by today's standards. This possibility creates both opportunity and risk.

First of all, we have to know what nanotechnology is. It involves the study and manipulation of matter on a very small scale, generally in the range of 1-100 nanometers. The UK Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering defined nanotechnology as the design, characterization, production and application of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and size at nanometer scale. Nan particles exist all around us in sea air, cigarette smoke, and diesel exhaust. We have manipulated matter through chemistry, physics, and plant and animal breeding at the nano-scale (atoms, molecules, cells) for hundreds if not thousands of years. So, why is the issue of nanotechnology generating so much discussion? Many observers argue that it is because todays knowledge and scientific tools enable scientists to begin to do what has been previously impossible: building new products and compounds atom by atom. This in time may decrease costs as the needs for many raw materials and agriculture products decrease, and it may be so precise it will virtually eliminate waste and pollution. By combining nanotechnology with other technologies such as biotechnology and information technology at the nanoscale, the potential effects may be more significant than with any other new technology. Both articles speak about the potential benefits include improved water purification systems, energy systems, heath care, food and agriculture, information and communications technologies, and pollution remediation. Energy: nanotechonology-based products can be used to reduce energy consumption through better insulation systems, and by the use of lighter and stronger materials in transport vehicles. and it can also be further harnessed for producing more efficient solar cells and hydrogenpowered fuel cells. Food and agriculture: more sustainable food production due to applications of nanotechnology. Such benefits coudl include; increased yields through smart fertilizers, reduced overall fertilizer consumption, improved food quality monitoring with nanosensors and higher bioavailability of food ingredients. Healthcare: Nanotechnology holds enormous potential to revolutionize healthcare, with possible applications including diagnostic imaging agents, drug delivery systems, thermal therapy delivery agents, body sensors, displays, high performance X-ray tubes, tissue engineering, microfluidics, pathogen detection systems and compact electronic systems. The size of nanoparticles permits the production of advanced materials as well as the possibility to enter cells and pass through physiological barriers. Water treatment: nanotechnology plays a significant role; Removal and/or remediation of contaminants in drinking and waste water, such as trace heavy metals and organics, Improving membranes to enhance flux and selectivity in membrane-based separations, developing nano-surfaces to increase the surface area for reactions, thus reducing friction. Information and communication: Nanotechnology will be critical to solving challenges faced by the ICT industry. For example, nanowires can be used to create devices that are even more minuscule than the current microelectronics, Moreover, nanotechnology will

lead to a revolution in smart sensors, novel semiconductor devices, logic elements and computer chips, memory and storage devices, optoelectronics, molecular electronics, etc. These will spearhead the creation of new products, services, and economic growth, and new channels of global communication, interaction, and collaboration Pollution revolution: The use of nanotechnology in site remediation technology include; Nano-scale iron particles to oxidize organic contaminants, heavy metal separation using nano-porous materials, the use of dendrimer polymers to separate and trap pollutants; and nano-scale colloids to treat dense non-aqueous phase liquids or high concentrations of adsorbed chlorinated volatile organic compounds. Nanotechnology offers the ability to build large numbers of products that are incredibly powerful by today's standards. This possibility creates both opportunity and risk. The problem of minimizing the risk is not simple; excessive restriction creates black markets, which in this context implies unrestricted nanofabrication. Selecting the proper level of restriction is likely to pose a difficult challenge, but these risks can be dealt with on two separate fronts: control of the molecular manufacturing capacity, and control of the products. Such a system has many advantages