SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY:

THE NANO WORLD

MELINOUR C. JAVIER, LPT, RN
INSTRUCTOR
LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

• Define nanotechnology
• Characterize nanoscale
• Describe the various uses of nanotechnology
• Discuss concerns on the use of nanotechnology
• Explain the status of the use of nanotechnology in the Philippines
 The use of nanoscale is one important
interdisciplinary area generated by advancement in
science and technology.

Nanotechnology refers to the science, engineering,

and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is
about 1 to 100 nanometers (NNI, 2017)
 December 29, 1959 (Richard Feynman)
“There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” during the
American Physical Society meeting at the California
Institute of Technology.

The term “nanotechnology” was coined by Professor

Norio Taniguchi.
HOW SMALL IS A NANOSCALE?
• A nanometer is a billionth of a meter
or 10-9 of a meter.
• The various types of nanomaterials
are classified according to their
individual shapes and sizes.
• Particles, tubes, wires, films, flakes,
or shells that have one or more
nanometer-sized dimensions.
WHAT ARE NANOMATERIALS?
• ‘Nanomaterials’ are materials at the nanoscale
whose properties (such as conductivity, color
and mechanical hardness) change due to their
nanoscale dimensions.
• They can be inorganic, organic or biological.
Nanomaterials such as nanoplates,
nanoparticles, nanowires and nanotubes can be
engineered in labs. Nanomaterials can also
occur in nature—naturally occurring
nanoparticles include smoke, sea spray and
volcanic ash, as well as minerals, soils, salt
particles and biogenic particles. Carbon nanotubes. Image source:
St. Stev / Flickr.

https://www.science.org.au/curious/nanoscience
A FEW EXAMPLES OF CURRENT NANOTECHNOLOGY:

• FOOD SECURITY
• Nanosensors in packaging can detect salmonella and other contaminants in food.
• MEDICINE
• A 2014 breakthrough saw the development of nano cages, which can theoretically deliver
cancer-killing drugs directly at the molecular level. This drug delivery method would reduce
the dosage amount needed, target cancer cells rather than healthy cells, and reduce side
effects.
• Other exciting developments include the possibility of using nanotechnology to increase the
growth of nerve cells (for example in a damaged brain or spinal cord), and using nanofibres
to help regenerate damaged spinal nerves (currently being tested on mice).
A FEW EXAMPLES OF CURRENT NANOTECHNOLOGY:
• ENERGY
• Nanotechnology is being used in a range of energy areas—to improve the efficiency and
cost-effectiveness of solar panels, create new kinds of batteries, improve the efficiency of
fuel production using better catalysis, and create better lighting systems.

• AUTOMOTIVE
• Nanoengineered materials are in a range of products including high-power rechargeable
batteries, fuel additives, fuel cells and improved catalytic converters, which produce cleaner
exhaust for longer periods.

• ENVIRONMENT
• Researchers are developing nanostructured filters that can remove virus cells and other
impurities from water, which may ultimately help create clean, affordable and abundant
drinking water.
• A nanofabric paper towel, which can absorb 20 times its weight in oil, can be used for oil-
spill clean-up operations.
A FEW EXAMPLES OF CURRENT NANOTECHNOLOGY:
• ELECTRONICS
Nanoparticles give the surface of these textile
• Many new screen-based appliances (TVs, fibers a structure with an effect similar to a lotus
phones, iPads and so on) incorporate plant’s leaves, making the fibers water- and dirt-
nanostructured polymer films known as organic repellent. Image source: BASF / Flickr.
light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). These screens are
brighter, lighter and have a better picture
quality, among other things.

• TEXTILES
• Nanoscale additives in fabrics help resist
staining, wrinkling and bacteria growth.

• COSMETICS
• Nanoscale materials in a range of cosmetics
provide functions such as improved coverage,
absorption or cleansing.
HOW TO VIEW NANOMATERIALS
• 1. ELECTRON MCROSCOPE (1930s)
- German engineers, Ernst Ruska and Max
Knoll
- Utilizes a particle beam of electrons to light
up a specimen and develop a well-
magnified image.
- Produces higher and better resolution than
older light microscopes; can magnify objects
up to a million times
- Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM);
Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)
HOW TO VIEW NANOMATERIALS
• 2. ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE
(AFM)
- 1986
- Gerd Binig, Calvin Quate, and
Christopher Gerber.
- Makes use of a mechanical probe
that gathers information from the
surface of a material.
HOW TO VIEW NANOMATERIALS
• 3. SCANNING TUNNELING
MICROSCOPE (1986)
- Gerd Binig and Heinrich
Rohrer
- View and manipulate
nanoscale particles, atoms,
and small molecules.
NANOMANUFACTURING
• Scaled-up, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing of nanoscale
materials, structures, devices, and systems.
• Involves research improvement, and incorporation of processes for
the construction of materials.
• Two fundamental approaches to nanomanufacturing:
• 1. Bottom-up fabrication – manufactures products by building them up from
atomic and molecular scale components; time-consuming.
• 2. Top-down fabrication – trims down large pieces of materials into
nanoscale; needs larger amounts of materials and discards excess raw
materials.
New approaches to the assembly of nanomaterials based from the
application of principles in top-down and bottom-up fabrication:

1. Dip pen lithography – a method in which the tip of an atomic force

microscope is “dipped” into a chemical fluid and then utilized to
“write” on a surface, like an old-fashioned ink pen onto paper.
2. Self-assembly – a set of components join together to mold an
organized structure in the absence of an outside direction.
3. Chemical vapor deposition – chemicals act in response to form very
pure, high-performance films.
• 4. Nanoimprint lithography – a method of generating nanoscale
attributes by “stamping” or “printing” them onto a surface.
• 5. Molecular beam epitaxy – one manner for depositing extremely
controlled thin films.
• 6. Roll-to-roll processing – a high-volume practice for constructing
nanoscale devices on a roll of ultrathin plastic or metal.
• 7. Atomic layer epitaxy – a means for laying down one-atom-thick
layers on a surface.
 DISTINCT FEATURES OF NANOSCALE
• 1. Scale at which much biology occurs.
• Example: Bio-barcode assay (inexpensive approach for
identification of specific disease markers in the blood despite
their small number in a particular specimen).

• 2. Scale at which quantum effects dominate properties of

materials.
• Nanoscale gold (nanoscale gold particles selectively build up in
tumors, where they permit both precise imaging and targeted Quantum dots with vivid colours stretching from
laser destruction of the tumor while avoiding damage on healthy violet to deep red are being currently
manufactured at PlasmaChem GmbH at a large
cells. scale. Image source: Antipoff / Wikimedia
Commons.
• 3. Nanoscale materials have far larger surface areas
than similar masses of larger-scale materials.
GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY
IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES (DAYRIT, 2005)
1. US National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)
2. European Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council (ENIAC), 2008
3. Nanotechnology Research Institute, under the National Institute for
Advanced Industrial Science and technology (AIST) – Japan
4. Taiwan National Science and Technology Program for Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology.
5. Nanotechnology Research and Education Foundation - India
6. National Center for Nanoscience and Technology – China
7. Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative
GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY
IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES (DAYRIT, 2005)

8. Australian Office of Nanotechnology

9. National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) – Canada
10. Korea National Nanotechnology Initiative – South Korea
11. National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC) – Thailand
12. National [Malaysia] Nanotechnology Initiatives (NNI)
POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
IN THE PHILIPPINES (DAYRIT, 2005)

• 1. ICT and semiconductors

• 2. Health and medicine
• 3. Energy
• 4. Food and agriculture
• 5. Environment
NANOTECH ROADMAP FOR THE PHILIPPINES
(FUNDED BY PCAS-TRD-DOST)
• 1. ICT and semiconductors
• 2. Health and biomedical
• 3. Energy
• 4. Environment
• 5. Agriculture and food
• 6. Health and environmental risk
• 7. Nano-metrology
• 8. Education and public awareness
BENEFITS AND CONCERNS OF USING
NANOTECHNOLOGY
• Concerns that need to be addressed before using and promoting materials
derived from nanotechnology:
1. Nanotechnology is not a single technology; it may become pervasive.
2. Nanotechnology seeks to develop new materials with specific properties.
3. Nanotechnology may introduce new efficiencies and paradigms which may
make some natural resources and current practices uncompetitive or
obsolete.
4. It may be complicated to detect its presence unless one has the specialist
tools of nanotechnology.
 BENEFITS AND CONCERNS OF THE APPLICATION OF
NANOTECHNOLOGY IN DIFFERENT AREAS
Examples of Areas Affected Possible Benefits Concerns
by Nanotechnology
Environment - Improved detection and removal - High reactivity and toxicity
of contaminants - Pervasive distribution in the
- Development of benign industrial environment
processes and materials - No nano-specific EPA regulation

Health - Improved medicine - Ability to cross cell membranes

and translocate in the body
- No FDA approval needed for
cosmetics or supplements
Economy - Better products - Redistribution of wealth
- New jobs - Potential cost of cleanups and
healthcare
- Accessibility to all income levels
SOCIAL AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON NANOTECHNOLOGY
1. Who will benefit from it? On the other hand, who won’t?
2. For whom and what are your objectives for developing your product?
3. How will it affect social, economic, and political relationships?
4. What problem is your “product” trying to solve?
5. Who will have access to it? Who will be excluded?
6. Are there dangers involved with its development? How can you minimize them?
7. Who will own it? How can you assure access to it?
- THANK YOU -