Nanotechnology
Ultra tough but lighter and stretchable
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 | Nanotechnology | No Comments
The 2 posts that i am going to link here are based on the same fact that carbon nanotube will be used to create metals stronger than iron but as flexible as rubber.
One post here. Its a research post on nanotechnology. The base of the post is that a nanocomposite of aluminum oxide and polymer is metal tough but its lighter than metals much more. Means that their nanocomposite compound is like an iron (e.g) but as light in weight as something of a hard plastic or maybe soft glass. It’s all a type of hybrid. Joining 2 things creating new type of elements with different properties. Haven’t we experimented that in various plants and trees long time ago?
The same goes here in this post also. It says researchers having modified a polymer substance making it 4 times tougher and 20 time more stiffer and temperature withstanding upto twice than original capacity.
Nanotechnology used to get purified water
Thursday, February 21st, 2008 | Nanotechnology | No Comments
Science daily has got some really good stuff on nanotechnology (i love stuff that science daily has as it has more simpler break down of complex understandings). 2 posts at a shot here. Really tired of analyzing nanotechnology researches coming up daily.
One is about using nanoparticles to strengthen various chemical (includes electrical and other aspects) properties of fluids. Its not new that various substances are mixed with fluids to get desired property. But with nanoparticles,it even more better(i suppose best). You may read the whole article here.
Another article is on getting water purified using nanotechnology(i have said that in application of nanotechnology). I have already said that nanotechnology will offer cheap,efficient and clean water purifying systems which even 3rd world nations like that of africa can afford. Let me not tell you about current water purifying systems because they are complex and expensive processes employed to get purified water. I with personal experience know what it takes to get clean water,the various stages a waste water has to pass to get germ free,odor free (its methane there in odor!) pure drinkable water.
In nanotechnology, a silica particles will be coated with active ingredients (they can be easily prepared,known as SES) which will simply remove viruses,bacteria,microorganisms,etc. Sounds easy?right? yes,it is. Check out the full article here.
Nanotechnology used to convert sun rays into electricity
Thursday, February 21st, 2008 | Nanotechnology | 1 Comment
Was just reading an article at science daily and thought would share with you. It’s about using nanoparticles to convert solar energy to electricity. Sunlight to electric current. What we currently have is silicon metal is used to convert solar energy into electric energy by concentrating sun rays at a point. Though silicon is available on vast quantity on earth,but the special grade silicon required to make silicon chips is limited. Currently,converting solar energy into electricity is not that cheap. It require a lot of investment first to setup even small appliances for domestic use.
The article argues that we should make solar energy absorbing material (like silicon chip) of noble metals like gold,platinum,silver. But i would say, wouldn’t that be costly using noble metals in place of silica.They haven’t explained this point in article. The absorption of solar energy from sunlight is dependent on the fact that electrons of any elements oscillate at a definite frequency and so does sun light electron oscillate at a frequency. When it strikes from both sides(the electrons),energy is transmitted. Currently i suppose conversion rate of solar energy into electricity is quite low(some few percent % only). What researchers intend to do is match the frequency of electrons of elements with exactly that of sunlight electrons oscillation.
Also nanotechnology will be used to see the properties of metals of absorbing sunlight in different spectrum colours(remember VIBGYOR?). Or maybe simply they employ oscillations of elements to generate heat !More oscillations,more energy!..lol..but its seriously funny because we can’t say much until we test out.
As i said,using noble metals for absorbing energy would be costly,it is argued that only a thin coat of those noble metals will be required for absorbing energy. Though i would i like to go much deep withing this post but stopping here, not making the post more complex. Trying to keep this types of articles simple,but what shall i do,i lose control over length once i start explaining :( 
.
Nanotechnology not in emerging technologies?
Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 | Nanotechnology | No Comments
I was just reading latest post on technology review who have put a post on 10 emerging technologies. It has got all potential and powerful technologies that can change the way we live completely. It included various field like cellulolytic enzymes,wireless power,atomic magnetometers,etc. but i saw no where any name of nanotechnology as specific. They have just included a product of nanotechnology-nanoradio in title- three amazing feets of engineering(other 2 were graphene transistors and wireless power).
Though the site has a part fully dedicated to nanotechnology research news and articles but in this post,they should have clearly mentioned the word - Nanotechnology. It was clearly seen that the emerging fields listed there had no match to nanotechnologies future potentials.The few other fields they have included in 10 emerging technologies are completely based on nanotechnology(mostly carbon nanotube as core part).
I went further and clicked on a link to a special report about ‘ ‘10 emerging technologies’ but to my utter disappointment,i found this screen- ‘Special report not found’
It’s a shame that their special report web page is the only one not opening. Shame for a big site like this one in its niche to give an error page to visitors,that too an important report.
Carbon Nanotube
Friday, February 15th, 2008 | Nanotechnology | 3 Comments
Another widely found application in nanotechnology is of carbon nanotube.Nano researchers and scientists have found great application of carbon nanotube in future technologies and amazing possibilities.It is also known as Bucky tube as it is made from buckyball.
Hows is it made? Carbon nanotube is actually extensions of buckyballs without their ends closing.Buckyball are joined in a row and their overlapping region is truncated which will create a hollow pipe like carbon structure,known as nanotube.Richard smalley conceptualized this nanotube.In 1991,Sumio tijima of NEC laboratory fused buckyballs and actually portrayed the picture of carbon nanotube.
There are 2 types of nanotubes
Photo:From wikipedia
(i) SWNT-Single wall nanotube is made up of only single cylinder type structure.(the figure above)
(ii) MWNT-Multi walled nanotube is made up of several nanotubes of varying diameter,arranged one over the other.
PROPERTIES OF CARBON NANOTUBES:
(1) Strength: Carbon nanotubes possess high tensile strength.The tensile strength of carbon nanotube is 100 time than steel ! .This is due to covalent bonds that exists between carbon-carbon atoms.But at the same time they are elastic in nature such that they can be bent like rubber ! Now it means that something 100 times stronger than steel bending like rubber.
(2) Thermal conductivity: Carbon nanotubes have exceptional conductivity of heat and electricity.It has 10 times more thermal conductivity than silver element.The atoms of the nanotube are in dynamic stage where carbon atoms are continuously transmitting the heat among themselves.Though it is stiff,it is still very elastic !
Converting your heartbeats into electric current
Friday, February 15th, 2008 | Nanotechnology | No Comments
The development in the field of Nanotechnology is going at good speed as i read articles of it here and there.Many new researches in the field of nanotechnology application are going on.Just hit upon this topic about converting our body motions into electricity.
Technology review has a very good article on nanotechnology which says scientists Georgia tech have researched that,a nanowire coated with zinc oxide can be used to to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.This is a great research by Georgia tech researchers and just imagine how much current can we produce if current is induced from heartbeats,breathing or running.Please read the article at technology review to know more in detail.
Treating cancer 100 percent
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 | Nanotechnology | No Comments
What i intend to tell you is all said in the title, ‘Treating can cancer’ and just add nanotechnology at the end.I am exhausted of adding suffix-Nanotechnology to sentences which seem quite impossible today.
Nanotechnology can treat cancer in you.How? Well we know Nanotechnology has novel properties due to its small structures.Nanotechnology is here to create nano,small structures only, and because of its small size,it has tremendous advantage over all fields.Thats one disadvantage also because of its small size as its at nano level,less than even micro level, and we humans are too big to experiment on nanotechnology properly and thats why we are late at producing some surprising results from nanotechnology.
Back to topic.How will it treat cancer? Here is what experts say about what nanotechnology can do in treating cancer in future.A shell which will be coated with a metal like gold.It will be about 100 nm in diameter will be inserted in our body.This nano shell will attach to only cancerous cells of our body and from outside our body,a laser beam will be emitted on our body which will make nano shell blast and the surrounding cancerous cells will be destroyed.Don’t worry,it isn’t a atom bomb blast,a small blast which you might even not experience.
What method currently is prevailing is that by operation,cancer tissue is removed from the body.But even if a single cell remains in the body,possibilities are again the cancer cells will be developed(multiplied) and cancer tissue will be developed.So this is less effective method of treating cancer.But with nanotechnology,cancer cells will be destroyed in the body completely.
Quick mapping of DNA with Nanotechnology
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 | Nanotechnology | 1 Comment
How about the system where you could know that you are likely to have heart attack after 10 years?Probably most people will run after that to save their lives and know when they would have heart attack so that they can take utmost precautions to avoid heart attack(I would at least,lol).
This is perfectly possible with accurate mapping of DNA of your body which nanotechnology can offer in future.Nanotechnology will provide accurate mapping of DNA to detect future potential diseases and body problems.This can be very useful for infants where their DNA mapping can help us know the future body problems that baby is likely to have as his DNA structure says.It can accurately and in a short period do the DNA study possible and tell you what you human body is likely to face in future.Like diabetes,heart attacks,or anything else due to heredity.It doesn’t mean that it will say you will have diarrhea or malaria after 10 years because that doesn’t come under DNA mapping.
Better health diagnostics with Nanotechnology
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 | Nanotechnology | No Comments
Nanotechnology will provide better health diagnostics.Diagnosing health related problems will be made quicker.Like complete body checkup report won’t take time in days or several hours but will be made in minutes or even in few seconds after scanning the body in later future.For e.g,to diagnose AIDS/HIV virus in your body or cancer cells or any other disease like malaria in which to know the results via reports takes time,will be made much quicker.It will save a lot of time.
Not only that,it will manufacture better,quicker,cheaper and more reliable and efficient diagnostic tools and systems so to make the health related diagnosis much accurate.
Increase memory due to Nanotechnology
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 | Nanotechnology | 1 Comment
Nanotechnology has already given the benefit of highly increased memory storage.The laptops and then pendrives,ipods,8 GB mobile phones,etc. we see are all gifts of nanotechnology.Earlier there used to be a big square for hard disk but now in front of your eyes you see 40 GB ipod in your palm.Days are not far when you will see a whole library in a sugar cube and that sugar cube distributed to all for a cheap price.New devices will be invented to harness this technology and put this into application(won’t you need a device to read the library books fitted in that square cube).
Though prices of nanotechnology made gadgets like laptops,ipod,pendrives,etc. are a bit high but they are gradually falling down.That too very speedily.Nanotechnology is surely going to revolutionize gadgets and memory.I suppose the viral trend of giving free storage online as you see on every site is due to nanotechnology only.Otherwise was this possible before?The huge storage that you get for cheap prices is all result of nanotechnology.This is the beginning,wait for few years and see its drastic effect.
Yoo Nano!