Nanotechnology - The Future

Image: Treating of reb blood cells using nanorobots.

Image Source: http://gabworthy.com/lifestyle/brace-yourself-heres-how-the-world-will-change-in-the-next-10-years/6/

In India many of the students dream to make their careers in engineering and technology fields such as Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Metallurgy, Mining, Aeronautical, Chemical, Electronics, Computer Science, Biomedical, or a combination of two or more such fields. But recently there is another technology which is emerging at a very fast pace i.e. Nanotechnology which seems to be the future of the next generation. It is the technology which requires a very good understanding of atoms and molecules i.e. at the structural level, so that by manipulating or changing structures at a nanoscale we are enabled to use new technology which will have enhance quality and will be far better than the original one. In the newer future thousands and thousands of new materials will be developed.  

We have learnt so far that matter is made up of atoms and molecules. Atom is the smallest particle of any matter and is made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. Atoms can bond together into groups to form a molecule. If the molecule contains atoms of different types bonded together, we call it a compound. Everything around us is made up of atoms and molecules—our body, the toys we play, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the buildings we live in, etc.

Nanotechnology is the science and technology of small things in particular that are less than 100 nanometer in size. One nanometer is 10-9 meters or about 3 atoms long. Just for comparison a human hair is about 80,000 nanometers in diameter and our newspaper is 100,000 nanometers thick.

Although nanotechnology is a relatively recent development in scientific research, the late 20th century saw the beginnings of the commercial applications of nanotechnology. The earliest evidence of the use nanotechnology can be traced back to the making of wootz steel for making swords which was manufactured in ancient India from 600 BC. It was during this period that wootz steel was being manufactured without the knowledge of nanotechnology. Later on invention of high resolution microscope i.e. Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (STM) along with extensive research work carried out by American and European Scientists led to development of nano-materials having enhanced properties. It is used across the science fields, such as Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Material Sciences, and Engineering.

By manipulating the arrangement of molecules, new and enhanced properties such as making water proof fabric, fireproof wood, highly absorbent fiber, memory chips which can store 10 times more data, coating which rejects dirt, glass which is unbreakable, surface that is antibacterial, etc.

Overall, Nanotechnology is a field which can open-up a number of solutions to unsolved concepts, bring along opportunities and surprises for the enhancement of technology and mankind itself. It is, hence, a field which is potent and has the ability to change the way we live.

Article by 

Kushagra Nageshwar

kushagra.nageshwar2001@gmail.com