Meeting a Few Nanotech Movers and Shakers
Nanotechnology has developed its fair share of notable overachievers — folks who are creatively exploring (and staking claim to) the uncharted territory of the nano scale. [more…]
What is Nanotechnology?
The scientific field of nanotechnology is still evolving, and there doesn’t seem to be one definition that everybody agrees on. It is known that nano deals with matter on a very small scale: larger than [more…]
The Evolution of Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology has been around as a recognized branch of science for only about fifty years, so it’s a baby compared to physics or biology. If you remember high school science, you know something about [more…]
Nanotechnology: Top Down or Bottom Up?
How our knowledge of nanoparticles should be used has been a subject of much debate. Nanotechnologists have offered two approaches for fabricating materials or manipulating devices using nanotechnology [more…]
The Pervasive Impact of Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology pulls in information from physics, chemistry, engineering, and biology to study and use materials at the nano level to achieve various results. It will have a significant impact on almost [more…]
Early History of Nanotechnology: 1930-1980
To really understand the big picture of nanotechnology, it is helpful to review the timeline of discoveries that brought us to the current understanding of the science. The history forms the foundation [more…]
Government Funding for Nanotechnology Research Labs
In the United States, the federal government provides significant funding for nanotechnology development through the National Nanotechnology Initiative [more…]
The Role of Companies in Nano Development
Many companies developing nanotechnology products have licensed techniques that were developed at universities or national labs. They take these techniques and work to develop products. They pay to put [more…]
What Can be Done with Nanotechnology Today?
Much of what people talk about doing with nanotechnology lies in the future. However, you can find many examples of nanotechnology making a difference today. [more…]
Nanotechnology Applications Under Development
While there are many applications of nanotechnology being used today, others are still in development and may become available in only a few years to a decade or so. [more…]
Speculation on Future Nanotechnology Applications
Even though much has been accomplished in developing nanotechnology applications, much more is still deemed possible. Three of the most fascinating examples — all in the speculative phase — are the space [more…]
Diamondoid: A Flawless Nanoparticle
While the name diamondoid may conjur thoughts of engagement rings and tennis bracelets, it is much more than the bling of the nanotechnology field. Diamondoid is projected to have a strength 50 times that [more…]
Nanotechnology Research Involving Iron and Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Any material at the nanoscale is a nanoparticle. Nanoparticles are so small they contain just a few atoms to a few thousand atoms, as opposed to bulk materials that might contain billions of atoms. This [more…]
Platinum Nanoparticles to Prevent Air Pollution
Any material at the nanoscale is a nanoparticle. Nanotechnology research into the use of platinum nanoparticles shows promise for reducing the cost of using platinum in catalytic converters and other pollution [more…]
Nanotechnology Research into the Uses of Gold Nanoparticles
Nanotechnology researchers are looking into possibilities of using gold at the nanoscale to target drug deliveries, clean up the environment, and even treat persons suffering from hyperthermia. [more…]
Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Make Better Sunscreen and More
Nanotechnology researchers have already made a clear sunscreen using titanium dioxide nanoparticles. They are also researching ways to use this nanotech material to kill bacteria and destroy cancer tumors [more…]
Silicon Nanoparticles Make Ever Smaller Electronics Possible
Silicon has been used in the manufacture of electronics for years. Just as it seemed that electronics couldn’t get any smaller, nanotechnology scientists have discovered ways to use silicon nanoparticles [more…]
Palladium Nanoparticles May Reduce Cost of Fuel Cells
Laboratories devoted to nanotechnology research are exploring the possibilities of using palladium nanoparticles to reduce the cost of fuel cells and catalytic converters. They have even found that palladium [more…]
Magnets and Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology scientists are conducting research to determine whether magnetic nanoparticles can be used to make magnets stronger using less material. This research is being done with neodymium, iron, [more…]
Absorb Neutrons with Boron Nanoparticles
Scientists studying the applications of nanotechnology in medical care have found that boron nanoparticles show promise in the fight against cancer.
Boron, in its bulk form, is an element that is used to [more…]
Electrical Properties of Boron-Nitride Nanotubes
Nanotechnology research scientists have discovered that all boron-nitride nanotubes have semiconductor properties, making this nano-material very useful in electronics. Additionally, nanotechnologists [more…]
How Materials Change in Nanoscale
Nanoparticles are so small they contain just a few atoms to a few thousand atoms, as opposed to bulk materials that might contain many billions of atoms. This difference is what causes nano materials to [more…]
History of Nanotechnology: 1981-1999
To really understand the big picture of nanotechnology, it is helpful to review the timeline of discoveries that brought us to the current understanding of the science. The history forms the foundation [more…]
National Nanotechnology Initiative Spurs Growth in the Field
An important step in the development of nanotechnology came in 2000 when President William Clinton introduced the National Nanotechnology Initiative, or NNI. This initiative was in part a result of the [more…]
Nanotechnology Research Efforts Focused on Fighting Disease
An area of focus of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and its associated agencies is the establishment of nanotechnology research and education centers. Several of these centers are focused [more…]
