NANO-TECHNOLOGY

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WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY NANO

Definition of “Nano”:
One billionth (10x-9)

Nanometer (nm) = one billionth of a

meter

Scientific Terms:
A human hair is 10,000 nm wide
Definition “Nanotechnology”:

A field of applied
science focused on
design, formation,
identification and
application of
materials and devices
on the nanoscale.
 Two Methods of Making
Nanoparticles

“Top Down” Vs. “Bottom Up”

Cut object Add atoms

smaller and together one by
smaller until one to attain
attain size correct
needed. property.
Health risks and environmental
issues
 Molecular manufacturing allows the cheap creation of incredibly
powerful devices and products.

 How many of these products will we want? What environmental

damage will they do?

 The range of possible damage is vast, from personal low-flying

supersonic aircraft injuring large numbers of animals to collection of
solar energy on a sufficiently large scale to modify the planet's
equilibrium and directly affect the environment. Stronger materials
will allow the creation of much larger machines, capable of
excavating or otherwise destroying large areas of the planet at a
greatly accelerated pace.

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Health risks and environmental
issues
 ROS and free radical production is one of the primary mechanisms of
nanoparticle toxicity; it may result in oxidative stress, inflammation, and
consequent damage to proteins, membranes and DNA .The extremely
small size of nanomaterials also means that they are much more readily
taken up by the human body than larger sized particles.

 Once in the blood stream, nanomaterials can be transported around the

body and are taken up by organs and tissues including the brain, heart,
liver, kidneys, bone marrow and nervous system

 Other properties of nanomaterials that influence toxicity include:

chemical composition, shape, surface structure, surface charge,
aggregation and solubility , and the presence or absence of
functional groups of other chemicals .
(reactive oxygen species )

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Does Nanotechnology Address
Teaching Standards?
Nanotechnology Idea Standard it can address

Nanomaterials, such as MR (magneto- Science and technology in local,

resistive) fluids in security national, and global challenges

Richard P. Feynman’s talk, “There is Science as a human endeavor, Nature

plenty of room at the bottom”. Feynman of scientific knowledge, Historical
had a vision. perspective

Nanocosmetics and nanoclothing Science as a human endeavor, Science

and technology in local, national, and
global challenges

Nanotechnology and Science Ethics Science and technology in local,

national, and global challenges,
Science as a human endeavor,
Historical perspective, Natural and
human-induced hazards, Population
Growth, Personal and Community
Health
 Does Nanotechnology Address
Teaching Standards?
Nanotechnology Idea Standard it can address
The idea of “Nano” – being small Structure of Atoms

Nanomaterials have a high surface Structure and properties of matter,

area Personal and Community Health
(nanosensors for toxins)

Synthesis of nanomaterials and support Chemical Reactions

chemistry (space propulsion)
Motion and Forces, Abilities of
technological design, Understanding
Shape Memory Alloys about science and technology

Conservation of Energy and increase in

Nanocrystalline Solar Cells disorder, Interactions of energy and
matter, Natural Resources

Nanocoatings resistive to bacteria and Personal and Community Health,

pollution Population Growth, Environmental
Quality, Natural and human-induced
hazards
Imagine a soldier that has a uniform
that can change from desert, to
winter, to forest camouflage by using
current from a small battery to
rearrange alignment of the molecules!
An Example of a Nanotechnology
Experiment, Which Addresses
the Standards: Constructing
Nanocrystalline Solar Cells Using
the Dye Extracted From Citrus
Four main parts:
1. Nanolayer
2. Dye
3. Electrolyte
4. 2 electrodes
 Nanocrystalline Solar Cells: The
Materials: Materials
1. (2) F-SnO2glass
slides
2. Iodine and Potassium
Iodide
3. Mortar/Pestle
4. Air Gun
5. Surfactant (Triton X
100 or Detergent)
6. Colloidal Titanium
Dioxide Powder
7. Nitric Acid
8. Blackberries,
raspberries, green
citrus leaves etc.
9. Masking Tape
10. Tweezers
11. Filter paper
12. Binder Clips
13. Various glassware
14. Multi-meter
Nanocrystalline Solar Cells
Main component:
Fluorine doped tin
oxide conductive
glass slides

Test the slide with a

multimeter to
determine which side
is conductive
 Synthesis of the
Nanotitanium Suspension
Procedure
Add 9 ml (in 1 ml
increments) of nitric or
acetic acid (ph3-4) to six
grams of titanium dioxide in
a mortar and pestle.
Grinding for 30 minutes will
produce a lump free paste.
1 drop of a surfactant is then
added ( triton X 100 or dish
washing detergent).
Suspension is then stored
and allow to equilibrate for
15 minutes.
Coating the Cell
After testing to determine
which side is conductive,
one of the glass slides is
then masked off 1-2 mm on
THREE sides with masking
tape. This is to form a mold.

A couple of drops of the

titanium dioxide suspension
is then added and distributed
across the area of the mold
with a glass rod.

The slide is then set aside to

dry for one minute.
Calcination of the Solar
Cells
After the first slide has
dried the tape can be
removed.

The titanium dioxide layer

needs to be heat sintered
and this can be done by
using a hot air gun that can
reach a temperature of at
least 450 degrees Celsius.

This heating process

should last 30 minutes.
 Dye Preparation

Crush 5-6 fresh berries in a mortar and pestle

with 2-ml of de-ionized water.
The dye is then filter through tissue or a
coffee filter and collected.
As an optional method, the dye can be
purified by crushing only 2-3 berries and
adding 10-ml of methanol/acetic acid/water
(25:4:21 by volume)
Dye Absorption and Coating
the Counter Electrode
Allow the heat sintered slide to
cool to room temperature.
Once the slide has cooled,
place the slide face down in the
filtered dye and allow the dye to
be absorbed for 5 or more
minutes.

• While the first slide is soaking,

determine which side of the second
slide is conducting.
• Place the second slide over an open
flame and move back and forth.
• This will coat the second slide with
a carbon catalyst layer
 Assembling the Solar Cell
After the first slide had
absorbed the dye, it is
quickly rinsed with ethanol to
remove any water. It is then
blotted dry with tissue paper.
Quickly, the two slides are
placed in an offset manner
together so that the layers
are touching.
Binder clips can be used to
keep the two slides together.

• One drop of a liquid

iodide/iodine solution is
then added between the
slides. Capillary action
will stain the entire inside
of the slides
Nanotechnology
for the
Environment
Nanotechnology and
the Environment
The bad…
Nature of nanoparticles themselves.
Characteristics of the products made.
Manufacturing processes involved.
• As nano-xyz is manufactured,
what materials are used?
• What waste is produced?
• Are toxic substances used in the
manufacturing of nano-xyz?
• What happens when nano-xyz gets
into the air, soil, water, or biota?
“The emerging fields of
nanoscience and
nanoengineering are leading
to unprecedented
understanding and control
over the fundamental building
blocks of all physical things.
This is likely to change the
way almost everything - from
vaccines to computers to
automobile tires to objects not
yet imagined - is designed
and made.”
 - Interagency Working Group on
Nanoscience, Engineering, and Technology
Report (1999)
Avoiding the Negative
Cadmium sulfide (CdS)
Are there more caring “Quantum dots”
gentle precursor
H2S gas
materials or synthetic CdS CdS Enter the
methods that can be used + environment
CdS CdS
to make the quantum Cd(CH3)2
CdS
dots?

Will it be possible
Bio/Enviro/other
to recover the applications
quantum dots for
reuse?

Are there measures that can be

How are these
taken now to minimize or avoid
semiconductor
the negative impact quantum
nanoparticles gently
dots (or other nanotechnologies)
introduced to their
may have on the environment?
target?

the Environment
“As EPA looks to the
future, it will need to
employ innovative
approaches and
sound science to
investigate complex,
interdisciplinary
problems in
environmental
protection.”
- EPA FY 2001 Annual Report
Nanotechnology and
The good…
Nanotechnology has the
potential to substantially
benefit environmental
quality and sustainability
through
• Pollution prevention
• Treatment
• Remediation
• Information
Nanotechnology for
pollution prevention
Synthetic or manufacturing
processes which can occur at
ambient temperature and pressure.
Use of non-toxic catalysts with
minimal production of resultant
pollutants.
Use of aqueous-based reactions. Involved in making a
manufacturing process
Build molecules as needed --“just environmentally caring
in time.”
An environmentally caring
Nanoscale information technologies material or manufactured
for product identification and product that replaces toxic
tracking to manage recycling, substances or minimizes raw
remanufacture, and end of life materials.
disposal of solvents.
5mm
Biomolecular nanolithography
• Biomimetic methods of organizing
metal particles 1.5 nanometers in
diameter.
• Assembling the particles on a
biopolymer template or scaffold
stretched out on a surface.
• Nanostructures are organized into
well-defined chip architectures, such
as lines and grids.
• Process eliminates the current process
chemicals that are harmful to the
environment.
• Nanoscale assemblies have been
made that demonstrate stable, room-
temperature electrical behavior that
may be tolerant of defects and useful
in building nanoscale circuits.
 Treatment & Iron Treatment Walls…
Remediation Used in groundwater treatment for
many years.
Iron chemically reduces organic and
End-of-pipe management inorganic environmental
and cleanup of pollution contaminants.
Currently involves granular or
“microscale” iron ( 50 mm or 50,000
nm).
and Nanotechnology
Nanosized iron enhances the reaction.
Enhanced further by coupling with
other metals (Fe/Pd)* on the nanoscale.

Nano Fe0 is more reactive and effective

than the microscale.
Smaller size makes it more flexible --
penetrates difficult to access areas.
 “Sense
“Sense and
and Shoot”
Shoot” Nanosized zinc oxide (ZnO)
Approach
Approach toto “senses” organic pollutants
Pollution
Pollution Treatment
Treatment indicated by change in visible
Dual role of ZnO semicondouctor
emission signal.
film as a sensor and photocatalyst The ZnO “shoots” the pollutants
via photocatalytic oxidation to
>300 nm form more environmentally
caring compounds.

Sensing capability means that

UV
the energy-consuming oxidation
stage only occurs when the
pollutants present.
Multifunctionality and
“smartness” is highly desirable
for environmental applications.
 Single Molecule Detection
Sensors • Molecules adsorb on surface of micro
cantilever, causes a change in surface
stress, cantilever bends.
• Used to detect chemicals using either
a specific reaction between analyte
and sensor layer or
chem/physisorption processes.
• Applications to bio-toxins as well.

Used for
• Process control, compliance
and ecosystem monitoring, and
data/information interfaces.
Need to be
• Low cost, rapid, precise, and
ultra sensitive.
• Operated remotely and
continuously, in laboratories, and
in real time.
  Conclusions
Science and Engineering approaches are
needed that offer new capabilities to prevent or
treat highly toxic or persistent pollutants, and
that result in the more effective monitoring of
pollutants or their impact in ways not currently
possible.
Nanoscience, engineering, and technology
holds great potential for the continued
improvement of technologies for environmental
protection. The recent breakthroughs in creating
nanocircuitry, give further evidence and support
the predictions that nanoscale science and
engineering “will most likely produce the
breakthroughs of tomorrow.”
BUT the environmental implications (nano
in the environment) need to be considered as we
consider nano for the environment.
The Coming
Nanotechnology
Revolution
 Not just new products — a new means of production
 Manufacturing systems that make more manufacturing
systems — exponential proliferation
 Accelerated product improvement — cheap rapid prototyping
 Affects all industries— general-purpose technology
 Inexpensive raw materials, potentially negligible capital cost —
economic discontinuity
 Portable, desktop-size factories — social disruption
 Impacts will cross borders — global transformation
 Current research

Space-filling model of the nanocar on a surface, using fullerenes as wheels.

Graphical representation of a rotaxane, useful as a molecular switch.

 Current research

This device transfers energy from nano-thin layers of quantum wells to

nanocrystals above them, causing the nanocrystals to emit visible light
Who defines what is
nanotechnology?
Scientists
– Eric K. Drexler. Engines of Creation, 1986
– Richard Smalley. “Of Chemistry, Love, and Nanobots”
Scientific American, September 2001
Political Leaders
– H.R. 766 ; 108th Congress, 1st session (2003)  ” To provide
for a National Nanotechnology Research and Development
Program , and for other purposes”
Media
– Feder, Barnaby. “Technology: a look at the dark side” New
York Times May 17, 2006
Standards-setting Organizations
– American National Standards Institute “ANSI-NSP priority
recommendations related to nanotechnology standardization
needs” November 14, 2004.
 Audience of the NEB

Scientists
Engineers
Business leaders
Policy makers
Scholars & Researchers
Students
General Public
All stakeholders
 BIG STEPS in Economic,
Social, and Political History

Computers

Automobiles
Change
Railways

Steam Engines

Time
 BIG STEPS in Economic,
Social, and Political History

Change

Time
 Not Steps, but S-Shaped Curves

Change

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 Not Steps, but S-Shaped Curves

Change

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 Not Steps, but S-Shaped Curves

Change

Time
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Once we have gained perspective,
we can begin to make wise
decisions for a better and safer
nano future!
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 SOME RELATED LINKS

The American Heritage Sci-Tech Encyclopedia Wikipedia

Intelligence Encyclopedia

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Hacker Slang Modern Science

THANK YOU