Nanotechnology what is it used for

Nanobots made from other materials are also in development. In a recent paper in the journal ACS Nano , they describe how drug-loaded nanostars behave like tiny hitchhikers, that after being attracted to an over-expressed protein on the surface of human cervical and ovarian cancer cells, deposit their payload right into the nuclei of those cells. The researchers found giving their nanobot the shape of a star helped to overcome one of the challenges of using nanoparticles to deliver drugs: how to release the drugs precisely.

They say the shape helps to concentrate the light pulses used to release the drugs precisely at the points of the star. Scientists are discovering that protein-based drugs are very useful because they can be programmed to deliver specific signals to cells. But the problem with conventional delivery of such drugs is that the body breaks most of them down before they reach their destination.

But what if it were possible to produce such drugs in situ , right at the target site? So far they have tested the idea in mice, by creating nanoparticles programmed to produce either green fluorescent protein GFP or luciferase exposed to UV light.

The MIT team came up with the idea while trying to find a way to attack metastatic tumors, those that grow from cancer cells that have migrated from the original site to other parts of the body.

They are now working on nanoparticles that can synthesize potential cancer drugs, and also on other ways to switch them on. Nanofibers are fibers with diameters of less than 1, nm. Medical applications include special materials for wound dressings and surgical textiles, materials used in implants, tissue engineering and artificial organ components.

Nanofibers made of carbon also hold promise for medical imaging and precise scientific measurement tools. But there are huge challenges to overcome, one of the main ones being how to make them consistently of the correct size. Historically, this has been costly and time-consuming. But last year, researchers from North Carolina State University, revealed how they had developed a new method for making carbon nanofibers of specific sizes.

Nickel nanoparticles are particularly interesting because at high temperatures they help grow carbon nanofibers. The researchers also found there was another benefit in using these nanoparticles, they could define where the nanofibers grew and by correct placement of the nanoparticles they could grow the nanofibers in a desired specific pattern: an important feature for useful nanoscale materials.

Lead is another substance that is finding use as a nanofiber, so much so that neurosurgeon-to-be Matthew MacEwan, who is studying at Washington University School of Medicine in St.

Louis, started his own nanomedicine company aimed at revolutionizing the surgical mesh that is used in operating theatres worldwide. The lead product is a synthetic polymer comprising individual strands of nanofibers, and was developed to repair brain and spinal cord injuries, but MacEwan thinks it could also be used to mend hernias , fistulas and other injuries.

Currently, the surgical meshes used to repair the protective membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord are made of thick and stiff material, which is difficult to work with. Every thread of the nanofiber mesh is thousands of times smaller than the diameter of a single cell. Check our Nanotechnology Applications in Fuels page for details.

Nanotechnology can improve the performance of catalysts used to transform vapors escaping from cars or industrial plants into harmless gasses. That's because catalysts made from nanoparticles have a greater surface area to interact with the reacting chemicals than catalysts made from larger particles.

The larger surface area allows more chemicals to interact with the catalyst simultaneously, which makes the catalyst more effective. Check our Nanotechnology and Air Qualit y page for details.

Nanotechnology is being used to develop solutions to three very different problems in water quality. One challenge is the removal of industrial wastes, such as a cleaning solvent called TCE, from groundwater.

Nanoparticles can be used to convert the contaminating chemical through a chemical reaction to make it harmless. Studies have shown that this method can be used successfully to reach contaminates dispersed in underground ponds and at much lower cost than methods which require pumping the water out of the ground for treatment.

Check out our Nanotechnology and Water Quality page for details. Nanotechnology can enable sensors to detect very small amounts of chemical vapors. Various types of detecting elements, such as carbon nanotubes, zinc oxide nanowires or palladium nanoparticles can be used in nanotechnology-based sensors. With the 21st century, this area consolidated, was marketed and came into its own. It includes other areas such as micro-manufacturing, organic chemistry and molecular biology.

In the United States alone, for example, more than 18 billion dollars were invested between and through the NNI National Nanotechnology Initiative to turn this sector into a driver of economic growth and competitiveness.

Nanotechnology, up close. The different types of nanotechnology are classified according to how they proceed top-down or bottom-up and the medium in which they work dry or wet :. Mechanisms and structures are miniaturised at the nanometric scale — from one to nanometres in size —. It is the most frequent to date, especially in electronics.

You start with a nanometric structure — a molecule, for example — and through a mounting or self-assembly process you create a larger mechanism than the one you started with. It is used to manufacture structures in coal, silicon, inorganic materials, metals and semiconductors that do not work with humidity. It is based on biological systems present in an aqueous environment — including genetic material, membranes, enzymes and other cellular components —.

Nanotechnology and nanomaterials can be applied in all kinds of industrial sectors. They are usually found in these areas:. Carbon nanotubes are close to replacing silicon as a material for making smaller, faster and more efficient microchips and devices, as well as lighter, more conductive and stronger quantum nanowires.

Image courtesy of IBM. Flexible, bendable, foldable, rollable, and stretchable electronics are reaching into various sectors and are being integrated into a variety of products, including wearables, medical applications, aerospace applications, and the Internet of Things.

Flexible electronics have been developed using, for example, semiconductor nanomembranes for applications in smartphone and e-reader displays. Making flat, flexible, lightweight, non-brittle, highly efficient electronics opens the door to countless smart products. Nanoparticle copper suspensions have been developed as a safer, cheaper, and more reliable alternative to lead-based solder and other hazardous materials commonly used to fuse electronics in the assembly process.

Medical and Healthcare Applications Nanotechnology is already broadening the medical tools, knowledge, and therapies currently available to clinicians.

Nanomedicine, the application of nanotechnology in medicine, draws on the natural scale of biological phenomena to produce precise solutions for disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Below are some examples of recent advances in this area:. Many scientists are looking into ways to develop clean, affordable, and renewable energy sources, along with means to reduce energy consumption and lessen toxicity burdens on the environment:. In addition to the ways that nanotechnology can help improve energy efficiency see the section above , there are also many ways that it can help detect and clean up environmental contaminants:.

Nanotechnology offers the promise of developing multifunctional materials that will contribute to building and maintaining lighter, safer, smarter, and more efficient vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft, and ships.

In addition, nanotechnology offers various means to improve the transportation infrastructure:.