The growing field of nanotechnology: important facts to know

If you have been paying attention to the news recently, you have probably heard of something called nanotechnology.  I am currently studying nanotechnology in school as part of my degree. I first got interested in this topic when I was a young teen.  I was looking at a news site one day and came across an article detailing what a couple of engineers had designed. They had created light bulbs that were able to mimic the sun’s rays by using nanotechnology.  This really struck a chord with me and I was intrigued by the topic ever since.

As someone who is graduating with a degree in Nanosystems Engineering, I want to do my best to explain what you should know about it and why it is important.  

Nanotechnology is an umbrella term that covers anything with a dimension that is less than 100 nanometers. A nanometer is defined as one-billionth of a meter or one 25,400,000th of an inch. For reference, the typical atom has a diameter of 0.5 nanometers.  Also for reference, humans are closer in scale to the size of the earth than they are to a nanometer by quite a bit. When a material is close to the size of an atom, typical physics is no longer valid; and quantum physics takes over. This changes the basics of how everything reacts with each other.  For example, instead of two objects just sitting next to each other, they could come together and start glowing.

You interact with things that use nanotechnology every day.  Below are listed some of the most common uses that we interact with on a daily basis.

In the entertainment industry, any QLED TV uses nanoparticles that illuminate to a certain color to give more vivid colours. 

The healthcare field has been able to use thin meshes to increase the rate at which injuries grow on patients. Nanotubes can be used to deliver drugs much more effectively than common pills. It is also used in the prevention of diseases. Sunblock generally contains nanoparticles to reflect the sun’s rays. Pretty much all makeup companies use some form of nanotech in their makeup.

When constructing a car, almost all of the parts contain nanotechnology. The windshield is constructed using a polymer glass that has had its crystal structure changed to not break inward. This glass is designed to also block the sun’s UV rays. The frames of most cars are also an alloy that has improved strength. Almost all cars recently have been made with countless embedded electronics. These electronics would not be possible without utilizing countless MEMS.

The newest batteries that are being developed utilize nanotechnology by adding thin meshes to separate the positive and negative sides of the batteries. This allows for a much quicker and longer lasting charge. Without utilizing nanotech, our new phones would not be able to last nearly as long.

I hope that by reading this article you learned a little bit about something that has so much influence on our day-to-day lives. Nanotechnology is an interesting career, so be sure to check it out!