Nanoscience is a quickly developing field of research that
brings together many different aspects of life, and benefits from an
interdisciplinary approach. Because of this, it is expected to lead to countless
innovations and advancements that can contribute towards addressing many
problems facing today’s society. Even the global market is assimilating this
technology into an array of products. However, regardless of nanotechnology’s
widespread prevalence, many customers, if not most, are unaware of its influences
and brush it off as a mere figment of science fiction. We don’t realize we are
exposed to nanoparticles in our daily lives, not only through airborne
pollution, but also by means of the products we use every day.
Though it is commonly under-recognized, nanoparticles are used in many fields today. Nanoparticle
applications in the Manufacturing sector include (1) silver nanoparticles in
fabric which are used to kill bacteria, making clothing odor-resistant and (2)
zinc oxide nanoparticles which can be dispersed in industrial coatings to protect
wood, plastic, and textiles from UV ray exposure. Current applications of
nanoparticles in the Environment sector include (1) gold nanoparticles which
are embedded in porous manganese oxide as a room temperature catalyst to
breakdown volatile organic pollutants suspended in the air and (2) iron
nanoparticles which are used to clean up carbon tetrachloride pollution in our
ground water. Nanoparticles can also be applied to the field of Energy and
Electronics, as seen with silicon nanoparticles, which are used to coat anodes
of lithium-ion batteries to increase battery power and reduce recharge time.
Without a doubt, nanotechnology has the potential to
profoundly change our economy and to improve our standard of living, similar to
the impact information technology has had in the past two decades. The link
below (along with the picture) is an example of how nanotechnology can reframe the
future for human life. It’s fascinating to see that nanotechnology is powerful
enough to transform the biology of humans!
Nanotechnology is an inescapable part of everyday life. Many
things we’ve been using for a long time, like the laser in DVD players, contain
nano-size components. It’s just, most of the time it goes unnoticed. On the
whole, people aren’t very aware of the nanotechnology integrated into the world
around them, but if you stretch out an arm, you’ll almost certainly be able to
grab something that employs this technology.
[In this video, water droplets smash into bits and rearrange
themselves, but still retain their perfect shape when coming into contact with
the superhydrophobic surface because of the nanoparticle-based surface.]
Aside form all the real-life applications nanotechnology
currently has, can science also produce advancements in art? Nanotechnology,
when combined with art, most certainly can produce remarkable, breathtaking
outcomes. NanoArt is a reflection of the technological movement, featuring
nanolandscapes and nanosculptures of all sorts. For example, Arizona State
Engineers have combined the art form of origami with nanotechnology to
construct improved battery technologies.
[This article is about how Arizona State University engineers were able to improve the design of batteries by integrating art to their research.]
[As told in the journal article above, which was taken from the 2010 volume of Highlights in Chemical Science, Italian scientists from the University of Florence have come up with a solution to art preservation by utilizing nanotechnology. They developed a nanofluid-based formulation and cleaning mechanism, in which a micellar system of nanosize spheres are formed to provide a protective barrier for artworks.]
Art and nanotechnology also come together with DNA sculpting
and origami. Nano-origami, such as DNA origami, gives nanotechnologists hope that
this technology and technique will lend a helping hand in producing working devices
for the future.
Lastly, scientists use electron microscopes to capture
images of nano-sized landscapes and then colorize them with digital photography
software in order to create pieces of art. Because NanoArt is virtually
inaccessible to the average person, nanoartist Cris Orfrescu holds the NanoArt
Exhibition every year to share the extraordinary beauty of the nano-world.
["Plasticity in Steel Micro-pillars" by Siddhardtha Pathak -- Pathak's inspiration of capturing images of steel comes from testing mechanical forces at the submicron scales. This submission won him 1st place.]
Many technologies in the modern world rely on
nanostructures, often inspired by evolution in the natural world. But there is
much untapped potential left to explore. Products of nanotechnology are capable
of changing the world because the scale of it allows for unique interactions
among atoms and their constituent parts. Practically every week, scientists
announce a new breakthrough in the ability of nanoparticles to deliver genes,
drugs, or chemical messengers inside cells. Every week, new breakthroughs in
the fields of electrochromics, natural science, and physics are announced,
claiming drastic improvements in our daily lives. So what is the future for
nanotechnology? The possibilities seem endless. Though nanotechnology
undeniably has made great changes in our world, its best is yet to come.
Works Cited
"How Nanotechnology Could Reengineer Us." Keithley:
A Tektronix Company. Keithley Instruments Inc., n.d. Web.
<http://www.keithley.com/knowledgecenter/How-Nanotechnology-Could-Reengineer-Us>.
How To Make Water Bounce. Youtube.
GE Research, 13 Nov. 2008. Web.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mvrqFvNTIY>.
Vesna, Victoria, and Jim Gimzewski. "The Nanomeme Syndrome:
Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science."
Thesis. UCLA, 2003. UCLA Arts. Web.
<http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm>.
Kullman, Joe. "Art Form, Nanotechnology Combine to Advance
Batteries."Arizona State University News: Science & Tech.
Extremetech.com, 22 Oct. 2013. Web.
<https://asunews.asu.edu/20131022-chan-lithium-ion-batteries>.
Camara-Campos, Amaya. "Preserving Art at the
Nanoscale." Royal Society of Chemistry. RSC Publishing, 7 July
2010. Web.
<http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemScience/Volume/2010/08/Preserving_art.asp>.
Yong, Ed. "DNA Sculpture and Origami – a Meeting of Art and
Nanotechnology." Science Blogs: Not Exactly Rocket Science.
N.p., 20 May 2009. Web.
<http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2009/05/20/dna-sculpture-and-origami-a-meeting-of-art-and-nanotechnol/>.
Tranquilin, Ricardo. "Extraordinary Beauty of the NanoArt
World: Photos : DNews." DNews. N.p., 12 Dec. 2012. Web.
<http://news.discovery.com/tech/scientists-artists-nanoart-exhibition-111109.htm>.
I liked the way you thought outside the box and connected this weeks lecture material to outside sources. Your mention of ASU's work with origami and nanotechnology to construct improved battery technologies was really interesting.
ReplyDeleteHello Candace! I definitely agree with you that nanotechnology has a bright future with huge potential. I have seen videos about superhydrophobic surfaces before but I didn't know it's a product of nanotechnology. Just like other scientific microscopic images, I think those NanoArtworks are very stunning and they let people to see things that scientists are studying, things we can't see in everyday life, which bring a whole new perspective to the viewers.
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