Nanotechnology Revolution

Nanotechnology today has become an explosion of an evolution. In the last decade there have been remarkable advances field of nanotechnology. Many science fiction writers such as: Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Arthurs C. Clarke, Frederik Pohl, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Heinlein, foresaw many of our current scientific achievements of today and tomorrow. The manufacture of atom sized mechanisms that can heal living cells and materials stronger and lighter than anything today has been dream of engineers and scientist alike. Many stories have been written about the good and evils of nanotechnology. Prey is a sci-fi story by Michael Crichton about nanotechnology how it could be abused if not monitored carefully. Sunscreens, water resistant clothing is all products of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology fields range from the miniaturization of semiconductor devices, to atom manipulation, in fields of chemistry, mechanic, life science and electronics as illustrated on slide 2.

The breakdown of nanotechnology can be from nano materials used to make carbon nanotubes in slide 3; Carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are single-wall carbon atoms into specific configurations specific of application. In Slide 3 and 4, there is an illustration of carbon nanotubes that are very strong structures to be used for drug delivery, synthetic cells, and the use as a super cable for a space elevator to deliver space payloads into space using nanowires made from SWNT with multiwall nanotubes made from polyaromatic solids from carbons atoms of graphemes.

Biochemical engineer will construct new enzymes for example to assemble new configurations of atoms (Drexler, 2006).
            Nanomachinery is going through a type of evolution similar to DNA/RNA evolution that life created billions of years ago. By improving molecular machinery steel alloy ten time stronger than bone, copper wires transmitting signals millions of times faster than nerves,” (Drexler, 2006 pg. 21).

Electronic nanocomputers will be many thousands of times faster than today proposed by physicist Richard Feynman. There will be Disassemblers that will control molecular assemblers, to provide the swift flow of instruction needed to direct placement of millions of atoms in a specific pattern. It shall take years for the first Assemblers to emerge will create and replicate under the category of “genetic engineering” and “biotechnology”. Richard Dawkins, Oxford zoologist, referred to replicators as RNA molecules that are the copying machines for new sequences of RNA. A molecular machine called a ribonucleic grabs RNA to copy and replicate the components DNA. The future of artificial creation and manipulation of DNA with nanobots will allow the modification of DNA.

            Medical application of nano bioengineering is shown in slide 7, which illustrates the use of nanotech to create artificial blood cells, hemoglobin and artificial cells. There is work being done on creating artificial liver cells and other artificial cells to replace damaged tissue, slide 8, (Chang, 2007)

 Scientists are working on new type of drug delivery systems in the form of microspheres, as microspheres to delivery extremely doses of drugs via  spheres only a micron across, similar to the size of cells. The drug delivery as shown in slide 10, of microcapsules (Chang, 2007) of tetryhydrofurn used to crease sphere with drugs, showing before dissolution and after dissolution into the body. This method of drug delivery can be use for very precise drug delivery to exact areas of the human body, which could not be done in the current mass injections that the liver absorbs a large percentage before ever being able to be used to help the areas in need. The utilization of artificial cells can be used for nanomedicine, regenerative medicine, blood substitutes, and bioencapsulation and cell/stem cell therapy. Artificial red blood cells have found use for those with sickle cell anemia due to the surface area to volume ratio in sickle cells is mutated. Artificial red blood cells would provide a substitute as shown in slide 9; they are working on maximizing the transport of hemoglobin and RBC enzymes compared to biological red blood cells. The artificial RBC (red blood cell) is made of ultrathin nylon-protein membrane. The permeability is a perfect match for the oxygen permeability of a real RBC. The research on artificial RBC started in 1957 and is still be perfected today. In 1965 developed cross linked proteins and encapsulation of cells for cell therapy. AC (Artificial cells) containing enzymes, hemoglobin, and proteins were encapsulated into microspheres in the 0960’s and 1970’s. The first clinical use of artificial cell in patients (in hemoperfusion) occurred 1970-1975. Work continued in areas with amino acids, hemoglobin, nanoartificial red blood cells in 1994. AC co encapsulating hepatocytes and adult stem cells occurred in 2000. In 2006 AC encapsulated bone marrow stem cells regenerate liver in the survival of rats with 90% of the rat’s liver surgically removed. This breakthrough will lead helping millions of people with liver disease and alcoholics whose liver has been damaged from alcohol abuse.  It is only a matter of time before an artificial liver will be created from the breakthroughs over the decades with cell level AC and nanotechnology.

            Drug delivery systems for the human body will be used in conjunction of encapsulated cells with transdermal drug delivery systems as illustrated in slide 15. This micro level of manufacturing will allow the insertion under the skin of molecule size drug delivery systems such as insulin and other medication, more accurate that is currently available by today’s technology. Therapeutic nanodevices can be specifically delivered to tumors (Chang, 2004). Cytotoxins will be delivered to the tumor, released to minimize the effects on nearby healthy tissue. Another method of assembly of nanoscale fabrication is quantum dot assembly as illustrated in slide 20. This illustrates a biological and light wavelength approach to growing complex structures at a nanoscale.

            Nanostructures SWCNT are being used to create nanotubes field effect transistors (FET) which are one of the basic electronic components in computers, see slide 5. Second and third generation nanotech will produce programmable ribosome and artificial nanomachines. We must consider the evolutionary aspects of nanotechnology and its implications on our work around us. As nanotechnology advances assemblers that create new nanotech products will become more sophisticated. Molecular engineers will be responsible for design tools for the creation of second-generation nanosystems. Eventually these third generation nanosystems will be self-replicators to produce molecular machines for use in bio-chemistry to create nano robots for biological and engineering applications. “The replicator design will include several assembler arms and several more arms to hold and move work pieces.” (Drexler, 2004) Drexler implicates how someday a large rocket engine could be grown using nanotechnology. All the components, motors, sensors, solenoids, computers and other parts would be building by the nanobots and a molecular level. As artificial intelligence becomes prevalent in today’s society so will the possibility of AI nanobots. We are near the limit of x-ray lithography for creating traces on integrated surfaces for vapor deposition of material to create integrated circuits. Nanotech circuits will create themselves after programmed to create specifically programmed structures. Drexler noted how two medical programs CASNET and MYCIN become the forefront of A.I programs.

            Mechanical components such as nanomechanical amplifiers, (slide 18) are the beginnings of creating nano scale computers. Conventional photolithography has limits due to the wavelength of light compared to, (slide 19) with dip-pen lithography which manipulate atoms at a nano scale with atomic force microscope. Nanotransistors are the building blocks for quantum level computers by creating smaller and smaller structures to take the place of basic electronic building blocks. This avenue of development will yield computers a thousand fold faster than those in use today, with A.I. computers becoming a closer reality. Neural net computers using Nanotransistors, nanocapacitors, and nanoresistors are closer than we realize. IBM and other universities are researching these structures.

Nanowire arrays as seen in slide 8 illustrate how we are creating molecular size circuits for electronics.

            Small networks of nanonet electronics will be composed of random networks of many carbon nanotubes organized into basic electronic functions at a low cost. Carbon nanonets should become widely used in sensors, solar cells, electronic paper, and touch screens in the near future according to Sciam Sept 2007. Nanonets will be used in transparent transistors, cheaper solar cells as shown on slide 22. The cost savings and use from transistors to solar cells will allow everyone to have solar energy once too expensive, now within the reach of all consumers. High speed production of solar cells and nanonet will be by printing, or some other engineering method as shown on slide 23.  High volume of production will make such technology cost effective.

            Plasmonics is a new technology to “squeeze electromagnetic waves into nano scale structures. This may yield super fast computer chips and ultrasensitive molecular detectors.” (Sciam, Sept 2007)

This technology will squeeze optical signals into nanoscale wires to produce electron density wavescalled plasmons. “Plasmon components will improve resolution of microscopes, led, and biological detectors” (Sciam, Sept 2007), see slide 22. The use of nanoshells or microspheres in conjunction with infrared laser light can be used to kill cancer without damaging nearby healthy tissue. This application is by creating nanospheres out of gold with silica imbedded in the center. The Plasmonics structures would be heated due to the nanoshells imbedding themselves in the cancerous area. The electromagnetic files on the metal film would oscillate and heat up thereby killing the cancerous growth. Speculations about the use of Plasmonics materials could be used as a cloaking device by bending the light around the object as see in slide 28.

            Aerospace engineers would love to find a method to miniaturize tools to cure the human body. Just as in Star Trek the Next Generation whereby Wesley Crusher releases nanites into the computer core, they evolved as they were self replicated and become a self aware society. It will take many years for scientists to develop nanotechnology to that level of sophistication. Computing with molecules is closer than we realize with a network of chemical circuits be built at the same level as proteins. Molecular logic gates made from several organic compounds or molecules called rotaxanes, or ‘shuttles’: the molecular components in these shuttles are physically linked together.  By having the form of short RNA strands, producing DNA strands as outputs according to the logical operations of OR, AND, or NOT gates. “Molecular electronics will replace conventional CMOS-based electronics, thus ensuring the continuation of Moore’s law beyond of the point of physical limitations prevent any further miniaturization of silicon-based devices.”  (Jones, 2009)

We shall briefly go over some of the topics from Dekker Encyclopedia of nanotechnology. Every month there is an issue now on the developments in “Nature nanotechnology” It explores the risk management of nanotechnology and various breakthroughs in the field every month. The majority of developments and promising candidates is DNA for molecular computing. Synthetic machinery can be constructed using manipulated and reprogrammed DNA. Standards such as (ISO TC229) by the International Organization for Standardization are being implements in the realm of nanotechnology.

These documents shall address the “risk assessment of nanomaterials, including the hazardous potential of many types of nanoparticles and the levels below which individuals might be exposed with minimal probability of adverse health effects.” (Hatto, Apr 2009). A system must be established for hazard types and the precautions that should be taken relevant to health and environmental toxicology of nanoparticles. There shall be the ISO standard to develop a practical guidance on the safe handling and disposal of manufactured nanomaterials, backed by the core principle of international consensus.

The need of regulation is monitor this new technology and how it will be implemented in our society. Chris Phoenix sees three sources of regulation:

1. Commercial regulation, dealing with the economic implications of a manufacturing revolution.

2.      Military regulation, dealing with the weapons and geopolitical aspects.

3.      Maybe criminological regulation, since new products can often is used for new forms of crime.

 There are new advances in nanotechnology every day. Here are a few of the latest.

·         Researchers at the Centre for Micro-Photonics at the Swinburne University of Technology in Victoria, Australia, created a new material that could lead to new discs that can store 10,000 times more data than your average DVDs.

·         Berkeley researcher Alex Zettl and colleagues created a physical memory cell composed of iron nanoparticles that can be moved back and forth in nanotubes. The position of the iron particle represents the state of the bit, which leads to very dense and highly stabile memory arrays, resulting in very long lifetime.

·         Quantum Dots have been also beginning to be used to “seek out and destroy” tumor and cancerous prostate cancer cells. (Wood, 2004) Quantum Dots are encapsulated in a protective coat, which prevents degradation within the body. (Wood, 2004) Experiments have been done on mice, showing that a Quantum Dot can effectively locate tumor cells. Inside this miniscule Quantum Dot there is an antibody to fight off cancer.  

·         Nanorobot Assembly Line Built! A platform ("walker") moves along a track, past several parts-handling devices, each of which can add a piece to the product - or not, depending on the programming of the system. This is a robotic, mechanical, digital, programmable system, built out of molecules of DNA. The entire thing is far too small to see with an ordinary microscope. 

·         Self-Replicating Nano-Robots Now Possible

There is a listing of nanotechnology products form the following site. http://www.nanotechproject.org/inventories/consumer/browse/products/

The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies

1stEnviroSafety Degreaser and 1stEnviroSafety Floor Cleaner  1stEnviroSafety Glass/Mirror Cleaner

Company: Larson Century Ranch, Inc.

2008 FX Cruiser SHO

Company: Yamaha® Motor Corporation, USA

The FX SHO features the world’s first hulls and decks manufactured through the use of cutting edge nanotechnology. Yamaha’s new NanoXcel ultra-lightweight, high strength material reduces the weight of the hull, deck and liner by 25% and provides performance gains in acceleration, top speed and handling. Additionally, the NanoXcel material offers a shinier, gem-like finish which reduces surface tension on the water, providing a more nimble, responsive ride.”

260 Den Nano Silver Far Infrared Anti-odor Healthy Socks

Company: TSUNG-HAU Technology

It combines pure nano silver ion with fiber by high tech to create a new product which has functions of anti-bacteria, disinfection and deodorization. It can also release an anion and the healthy energy.”

350TC Nano-Tex® Sheet Set by Studio

Company: JCPenney® Company, Inc.

Breakthrough nanotechnology brings you a breathable sheet that engineered to keep you cool and comfy.”
“Ultimate nanotechnology performance”

3XDRY® ESSEX SHIRT

Company: Simms Fishing Products

Product Web Site

What They Say

“UPF 30 offers all day sun protection Fabric features a special silver-based nanotechnology - the best anti-odor treatment that lasts the lifetime of the garment 3XDry® fabric treatment repels moisture on the exterior of the garment and wicks perspiration away from the body Superfine cotton for exceptional comfort Pleated chest pockets with hook & loop closures, 1 pocket features internal license pocket Accessory loop inside pocket Under collar buttons Shirt tail hem Imported”

Ag Nano Phytoncide Toothpaste

Company: SH Pharma Co Ltd

Product Web Site

What They Say

“Ag Nano was developed to keep strong germ fighting effectiveness of silver longer and it keeps teeth white and healthy. Also, product contains environmentally friendly, natural germ fighting substance. This substance has germ-killing power for germs that causes gum disease, and also, it eliminates bad breath and keeps your mouth fresh and clean for long period of time.”

Air Sanitizer

Company: Shenzhen Become Industry & Trade Co., Ltd.

Product Web Site

What They Say

“Nano silver photo catalyst keeps the features of common air sanitizer. Because of adding nanometer Ag, etc. the air sanitizer has capabilities of stronger oxidation reductive reaction, sterilization, deodorization, decomposing and adsorption, but also has the efficiency of persisting in sterilization (Can sterilize even in the conditions of no light) and keeping moisture within 24 hours.”

Antibacterial Kitchenware

Company: Nano Care Technology, Ltd.

Product Web Site

What They Say

“Antibacterial tableware and kitchen tools Tableware and kitchen tools play an important role in people¡¯s daily life. It is also one of the most usual ways to spread disease especially in public places like restaurant, cafes, and inns, etc. People always use traditional ways such as sterilizer to kill bacteria and germs but the result is not satisfied, because many bacteria and viruses survive or relive very quickly.
Our Antibacterial tableware which with nano silver coating could kill the attached bacteria and microbial in ten minutes and the effect can last for a long time even permanently and keep the surface always clean. Thus, our antibacterial tableware and kitchen tools can prevent people from the following diseases: duodenitis caused by spirillums, virosis hepatitis, dysentery caused by salmonella and food poisoning caused by golden staphylococcus.”

Dimensions with Nanocide™ Antimicrobial Upholstery Coating

Company: CMI Enterprises

Product Web Site

What They Say

“Our newly released “Dimensions” line of coated fabrics for upholstery and bedding is the first of its kind for the industry, featuring our exclusive Nanocide™ Antimicrobial.”
“The nanotechnology and process we developed permanently places or embed the nanoparticles into the surface area of the product.”

Silver Nano Baby Milk Bottle

Company: Baby Dream® Co., Ltd.

Product Web Site

What They Say

“Through silver nano poly system 99.9% of germs are prevented and it maintains anti-bacteria, deodorizing function as well as freshness.”
Here are a few of the hundreds of new products entering into the market place being used in all areas of society.  Today you may be using any one of hundreds of products already using nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology will make great breakthroughs in nanoelectronics, DNA, grapheme production, mechanochemistry as illustrated in every issue of “nature nanotechnology”
Anything the mind of man can imagine can be invented, given enough, time, money and imagination.

 References

Ahmed, W. (2009). Emerging Technology for Manufacturing. Burlington, Ma: Elsevier Foundation.

Beekman, G. (2010). Tomorrow's Technology and You. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hill.

Bhushan. (2004). Handbook of Nanotechnology. Berlin, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo: Springer.

Chang, T. M. (2007). Artificial Cells. Singapore: World Scientific.

Drexler, E. (1986). Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology. Terre Haute: Anchor.

Goddard, W. A. (2003). Handbook of Nanoscience, Engineering and Technology. New York, Washington D.C.: CRC Press.

Hatto, P. (2009, April). International standards for risk management of nanotechnology. Nature Nanotechnology , p. 6.

Lee, A. P. (2006). Biological and Biomedical Nanotechnology. UC Irvine: Springer.

Richard, J. (2009, Apr). Computing with molecules. Nature Nanotechnology , p. 8.

Roukes, M. (2007, SEpt). Plenty of Room Indeed. Scientific American , pp. 6-.

Tao, W.-E. (2007). Electrospinning and Nanofibers. Singapore: World Scientific.