Nanotechnology

1
Nanotechnology
The Next Big Idea?
2
Overview

• What is nanotechnology?
• Examples
• Requirements
• Pros and cons
• Conclusion

Branched Electron Flow
3
What is nanotechnology?

• nano 10-9
• nanometer 1/1,000,000 of a millimeter
• size of molecules 1 nm ? 100 nm

• nanotechnology is a science of controlling
  individual atoms and molecules

4
Conventional vs. Nano

• traditionally built from top down
• blocks of raw material are processed into
  precisely formed products
• nanotechnology built from bottom up
• more natural
• tiny molecular machines assemble into bigger
  structures

5
Examples
Fullerene gears
6
Examples
Gecko tape

• geckos climb slippery surfaces and hang from
  glass using a single toe
• the nanoscopic hairs on their feet exert van der
  Waals forces interacting with the surface

• researchers have developed a tape with similar
  properties
• hairs 2 microns high, 200 nm wide
• 1 cm2 holds around 100 million of these
  artificial hairs and could support a weight of 1
  kg

7
Examples
Genetic engineering

• a special case of nanotechnology
• an organism with altered DNA can produce useful
  proteins, etc.
• natural limitations
• can produce only organic substances

8
Requirements

• positional control of single molecules
• self-replication
• inexpensive production

35 xenon atoms on nickel
carbon monoxide man (CO on platinum)
?atom? (iron on copper)
9
Pros and Cons

• high complexity
• fast construction
• medical uses
• rearrangement of single molecules instead of
  cells
• environmental uses
• zero pollution
• rebuilding of the ozone layer
• fast computers
• inexpensive access to space
• space elevator
• new weapons

• gray goo
• unstoppable replication destroying everything
  around
• disastrous accidents
• abuse
• new weapons
• ?nanobots taking over the world?

10
Conclusion

• nanotechnology provides enormous possibilities

• people have to be educated in order to avoid
  abuse
• safety guidelines, research and manufacturing
  policies are needed