APPLICATIONS
OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
Ability of materials to dramatically change their properties at
nanoscale has opened up the possibility of making new devices, instruments,
consumer goods to function in better way than was possible earlier. Some of the
applications of nanotechnology are:
1.
Electronics:
After the discovery of solid state transistor by Bardeen and his
coworkers in 1947, revolutionary changes occurred in the field of electronics.
Tiny less power consuming light weight devices were made. Thus a portable,
space saving compact equipments were made. Today one can have wrist watches, laptops, mobiles stereos, calculators
due to the advancement in electronic and related areas.
The flat panel television or computer monitors are products of
nanotechnology. Even the coatings used on screens of TV or monitors can be of
nanoparticles, which have better properties
in
terms of color quality and resolution than micro particle coatings.
2. Energy:
Nanotechnology will play an important role in the field of energy.
The future generations will have to look for
alternative
energy sources like solar energy or hydrogen based fuel to satisfy our needs.
Scientists hope to make efficient solar cells using nanomaterials.
Attempts are made to increase energy density of present batteries
by Placing by electrode materials some metal hydride nanoparticles like nickel
hydrides or high surface area, or ultra light weight materials like aero-gels
are found to be better
options than the conventional materials in improved batteries.
3. Automobiles:
It is
known that nanotube composites have mechanical strength better than even
It is possible to use special window glass materials. Self
cleaning glass can be made by dissolving small amount of titania (titanium
dioxide) nanoparticles in it while manufacturing the glass by melting together its
other ingredients like silica, calcium oxide, barium oxide etc.
Very powerful motors using shape memory alloys with nanoparticles.
They are made up of Ni-Ti alloys. They perform better and are less power
consuming than other motors. Such motors are used in automobiles. By using
nanoparticles clay-better, light weight, less rubber consuming thinner tyres
are possible. Use of efficient nanomaterial catalysts is one of the solutions
to convert harmful emission into harmless gases. Large surface area of
nanoparticles is useful to produce better catalysts.
Hydrogen will be used in future for cars and in other vehicles.
The fuel will be stored in nanocylinders of carbon nanotubes so as to avoid any accidents due to catching of
fire.
4. Sports
and Toys:
Nanotechnology has already been introduced into sports equipment
and toys.
Good quality tennis racquets are made of carbon. Lightweight and
toughness or strength is necessary for such racquets It is possible that carbon
nanotube composites would serve as a high strength, lightweight material for
racquets. In other games too balls and other equipments using nanomaterials can
be employed.
Toys have been made using nanotechnology. Eye movements of dolls,
robot movements are made using nanotechnology based motors.
5. Textile:
Textile industry is using nanotechnology. There are some clothes
produced which would give pleasant look of synthetic fibre but comfort of
cotton. Special threads and dyes used in textile industry are products of
nanotechnology. These clothes do not require ironing and frequent cleaning.
Some companies are trying to use silver nanoparticles to make clothes
germ-free.
6. Cosmetics:
Nanoparticles are important in cosmetics. Zinc oxide and titanium
oxide
7. Domestic
Appliances:
Use of silver nanoparticles is made in refrigerators, airpurifiers
or air conditioners
and water purifiers. Silver has antimicrobial property.
Silver nanoparticles are much more effective and only small quantity of them is
required.
Food in refrigerators can remain fresh and prevent bacterial and
fungal growth for longer time than ordinary refrigerators. The clothes washed in silver nanoparticles
lined washing machines are claimed to have advantages.
8. Medical
Field:
Initial tests of various drug delivery systems, cancer or tumor
therapies or
detection have been successful using nanotechnology. Nanoparticles
being very small are easy to inject and target towards specific portion of a
body. In recent years gold
nanorods which have strong scattering and
absorption
Property in the infrared are used successfully to detect and destroy cancer
cells in rats.
Drugs can encapsulated in nanocapsules and targeted towards
desired Parts of a body. There is considerable nanotechnology based research
going on to help HIV and Diabetic patients. Some nanotechnology based tests are
being developed to detect pathogens. Porous silicon and carbon nanotubes based sensors are under testing for
their applications in medical field.
9. Space
and Defence:
Space and Defence scientists are trying to adopt nanomaterials as
alternative
10.
Environment:
It is believed that nanomaterials themselves would reduce
pollution and
Some of the nanoparticles-based sensors are much more novel and sensitive
compared to those available now. Such sensors will be useful in water
purification systems, detection of toxic ions, metal
ions, pesticides etc.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon