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    What Is Nanotechnology?

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    Najib Altawell
    The idea behind Nanotechnology is that by manipulating atoms and/or molecules to build materials and structures directly, as well as by exploiting the unique properties of matter at the nanoscale (0.1 nm to 100 nm) then we are at a distinctive level where the name of Nanotechnology has been put forward to describe this kind of human engineering activity.

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    What Is Nanotechnology?

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    Najib Altawell
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    The idea behind Nanotechnology is that by manipulating atoms and/or molecules to build materials and structures directly, as well as by exploiting the unique properties of matter at the nanoscale (0.1 nm to 100 nm) then we are at a distinctive level where the name of Nanotechnology has been put forward to describe this kind of human engineering activity.

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    What is Nanotechnology?

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    The idea behind Nanotechnology is that by manipulating atoms and/or molecules to build materials and structures directly, as well as by exploiting the unique properties of matter at the nanoscale (0.1 nm to 100 nm) then we are at a distinctive level where the name of Nanotechnology has been put forward to describe this kind of human engineering activity.

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    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    124 views3 pages

    What Is Nanotechnology?

    Uploaded by

    Najib Altawell
    The idea behind Nanotechnology is that by manipulating atoms and/or molecules to build materials and structures directly, as well as by exploiting the unique properties of matter at the nanoscale (0.1 nm to 100 nm) then we are at a distinctive level where the name of Nanotechnology has been put forward to describe this kind of human engineering activity.

    Copyright:

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    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 3

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    What is Nanotechnology?

    The idea behind Nanotechnology is that by manipulating atoms and/or


    molecules to build materials and structures directly, as well as by
    exploiting the unique properties of matter at the nanoscale (0.1 nm to
    100 nm) then we are at a distinctive level where the name of
    Nanotechnology has been put forward to describe this kind of human
    engineering activity.

    Obviously, here we are dealing with what we call nanostructures - a


    nanometre is one thousand million times smaller than a metre, about 3 -
    4 atoms in width. To give you an example how small this scale is, well just
    imagine we blew up an orange to the size of the earth, the atoms of the
    orange would become visible, and the size of each atom would be about
    the size of a single cherry.

    Another definition I came across several times concerning Nanotechnology


    is that - it is the result of a marriage between chemistry and engineering.
    It has been likened to traditional chemistry but without chemical
    reactions. Here we can envisage building things one atom or molecule at a
    time, using programmed nanoscopic robotic arms or equivalent methods.
    The question therefore arises .... is it possible to move one atom (or one
    molecule) from one location and relocate it to the desired place without
    difficulty - simply using the present available technology?
    The answer is ‘yes, but with difficulty’. At the same time, this process is
    limited at the present time. So transferring large numbers of
    atoms/molecules in a much faster way and on industrial scale is not yet
    possible - at least not with today's technology.
    Therefore, to understand the above process using more sophisticated
    technology, we may say that by treating atoms or molecules discretely in
    a way similar to the process of computers treating bits of information, it
    may become possible to build from the bottom up anything we desire - at
    very little cost.
    This is of course is the theory. The practical task of how to apply it, to
    make nanoscale-based technology as common as any technical or
    engineering method used today for various products, is still largely in the
    realm of the future. But suppose we could apply this technology today!
    Then this could mean an automatic construction of consumer goods
    without traditional human labour, as we know it. Any number of copies
    could be produced at a very small cost. This is where self-assembly come
    into the picture.
    A good example of self-assembly is what is taking place in nature itself
    around us, i.e., molecules in a vegetable cell manipulating the atoms of
    soil, air and water in order to produce more copies for the growth to
    continue.
    Manufacturing, using the principles of Nanotechnology, is expected to
    undergo profound changes, in the not too distant future. Advances in
    miniaturization will reach the level of individual atoms, and it may become
    possible to design and build products to atomically precise specifications.

    In the USA, the U.S. Department of Defence, the National Science


    Foundation and NASA have extensively funded research related to
    Nanotechnology. Though Nanotechnology is still largely within the domain
    of the research laboratory, such government funding for various
    researches in this field will pay off eventually and handsomely in various
    ways, sooner or later.

    Najib Altawell
    References

    1. K. Eric Drexler (1992) Nanosystems: molecular machinery,


    manufacturing, and computation. Interscience.

    2. K. Eric Drexler (1986) Engines of Creation. Anchor.

    3. Drexler K. Eric; Peterson, Chris; and Pergamet, Gayle (1991)


    Unbounding the Future The Nanotechnology Revolution. Quill Press,
    William Morrow and Company.

    4. http://www.halcyon.com/nanojbl/NanoConProc/nanocon1.html
    2 January 2008 18.20 Hrs.

    5. Smalley Richard E., Gene and Norman Hackerman and Cole Roger
    (1995) Initiatives in Nanotechnology. Published on the World Wide Web,
    Rice University.

    6. S. Wood, R. Jones and A. Geldart (2003) The Social and Economic


    Challenges of Nanotechnology (A Report compiled for the UK Economic
    and Social Research Council, 2003)

    © Altawell 2008

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