Nanotechnology materials and products

The most important thing to take away from this site is the idea that although nanotechnology implies working at and understanding matter at the nanoscale, the ultimate aim of nanotechnology is to make improvements to existing large-scale systems, processes and products.

Nanotechnology Materials

So, if we start with atoms and the ability to predict their reactions, behaviors and interactions to form small molecules, what is the next step up the size ladder, taking nanotechnology closer to the ultimate goal - bulk manufacture of nanodesigned materials? When you add two atoms together in a systematic way, what can you make?

This section looks briefly at some of the basic building blocks that can now be bought from scientific supply catalogues. Like a random collection of internal organs, they are all interesting in their own right and have unusual properties that can hopefully be extrapolated into a larger construction. But as with the random organ collection, what you can make with these basic building blocks is even more interesting.

Nanotechnology building block	What is it?	What novel properties does it have?	What has it been used in?
Nanotubes	Tubes made of carbon atoms (sometimes with other elements such as boron) linked together in rings of six to form hexagons. Flat sheets of hexagons are then joined together and rolled up to make a hollow tube.	Very strong. Can either be an insulator or a conductor of electricity (depends on what elements are present). Basic unit of much other research — nanowires, ribbons, ropes and more.	One early use was being incorporated into the carbon-fibre frames of tennis racquets to make them lighter but stronger. Also used in biosensors.
The World's smallest test tube — Scientists at the University of Oxford and University of Nottingham, UK, have used single-walled carbon nanotubes as a 'test tube' for carrying out a polymerization reaction. Using water to grow nanotubes — Researchers from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan, claim to have used water to solve many of the problems that currently plague carbon nanotube synthesis.
Nanowires	Similar in many ways to nanotubes, but with even more pronounced electrical and conducting or insulating properties.	Single nanowires can control current flow, emit light, process or store information or dissipate heat — but at extremely small scales. Junctions can be made between them and other conducting materials, and they are cheap and fast to grow.	Nanowires took the field of electronics by storm, holding out the promise of cheaper and smaller memory and processing units, with nanowire connectors. In addition to this, their novel electrical properties - that change in the presence of other atoms - makes them ideal sensors for gasses, such as carbon monoxide.
Not making electronics smaller, but cheaper — scientists from Nanosys, USA, make thin-film transistors using semi-conducting nanowires and cheap plastics. Sensing a nano-change - Using an array of nanowires to detect miniscule traces of different gasses.
Nanocomposites/Nanoparticles	Essentially any small spherical structure with a diameter not exceeding 100 nanometers. Can be single or bind together into clusters, cones etc. Can be made from a variety of materials - carbon, metallic elements, ceramics, drugs etc.	The properties of the nanoparticle depends very much on how it was constructed and from what - thermosetting plastic particles can defend paint from erosion, reflective particles can act as sunscreen, some are used in medicine to kill tumor cells.	Some of the first uses were in medicine - tumor cells were found to absorb gold nanoparticles easily and this increased the efficacy of radiation therapy in killing cells. Gold is also useful as an anti-bacterial additive to socks and trainer linings. Other uses include field emitters in flat-screens and potentially quantum computer memory.
Killing it softly and Fatal Attraction - - researchers make a break-through with using nanoparticles to kill tumor cells How to carve a nanoparticle - a detailed account of a new method for making nanoparticles.

Nanotechnology products

Having made - or bought - your basic nanotechnology building blocks, what sort of things can you make with them?

NanoVIP is a good place to start, with a comprehensive listing of companies currently producing items and products built using nanotechnology as a starting point.
AZoNano also maintains a list of new stories about new applications of nanotechnology and basic nanomaterials
Nanocarbon tennis racquets from Babolat - one of the first 'nano' products to make it into the hands of ordinary people.
Oxford Instruments, who specialize in the design, supply and support of innovative, advanced instrumentation for industry, research and educational institutions, and centers of healthcare, include some new instruments using carbon nanotube technology for a variety of things.
Your fillings could soon be made from nanocomposite materials, if NanoProducts have their way...
Nanotubes have been turned into tiny sensors that can monitor the blood-sugar levels of humans when injected into willing volunteers.
If nanotubes are good, surely turning nanotubes into nanorope is better?

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