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Wonders of nanotechnology

Al-Nakib Chowdhury
THERE'S an unprecedented multidisciplinary convergence of scientists dedicated to the study of a world so small, one can't see it - even with a light microscope. That world is the field of nanotechnology, the realm of atoms and nanostructures. Nanotechnology refers broadly to a technology whose unifying theme is the control of matter on the scale, generally 100 nanometers or smaller, and the fabrication of devices with critical dimensions that lie within that size range (Lakhtakia 2004). Materials reduced to the nanoscale can suddenly show very different properties compared to what they exhibit on a macroscale; for example, opaque substances become transparent (copper), inert materials become catalysts (platinum, gold), stable materials turn combustible (aluminum), solids turn into liquids
at room temperature (gold), insulators become conductors (silicon) that means that the behavior of substances at the nanoscale can sometimes contradict common sense by behaving erratically.
The unusual behaviors enable unique applications of these nanomaterials. Nanotechnology today is growing very rapidly and has infinite applications in almost everything we do - the medicine we take, food we eat, chemicals we use, car we drive and much more.
Nanotechnology is an expected future manufacturing technology that will make most products lighter, stronger, cleaner and less expensive. Future nanotechnology is likely to change the way almost everything around our life.
One nanometer (nm) is one billionth, or 10-9 of a meter. Basically, it is about the width of 3 to 4 atoms. The comparative size of a nanometer to a meter is the same as that of a marble to the size of the earth.
WHY NANOPARTICLES BEHAVE THE WAY THEY DO?
•At nano scale, the properties of materials change tremendously because of the large surface-to-volume ratio and changes in the quantum mechanical behavior of materials.
• The enormous surface area of nanomaterials facilitates their interaction with other substances, giving the nanomaterials unique properties such as exceptional strength or
greater chemical activity.
Nanotechnology is likely to change the way almost everything: like Medicine, Food, Agriculture, Environment, Energy, Computer, Car etc.
The somewhat speculative claims about the possibility of using nanorobots in medicine; researchers say, would totally change the world of medicine once it is realized.
Introduced into the body, to repair or detect damages and infections.
In the process of constant advancement in auto technology, car makers are pondering on manufacturing environment-friendly vehicles utilizing nanotechnology.
Nano Agriculture: Nanofertilizer, nano encapsulated pesticides, acceleration of photosynthesis, biosensor.
Tomato plants sprout earlier and grow faster, carbon nanotubes that increase the germination percentage and support and enhance the growth of seedlings. The carbon nanaotubes are able to penetrate the thick seed coat to support water uptake inside the seeds.
References
A Lakhtakia (ed) (2004) The Handbook of Nanotechnology. Nanometer Structures: Theory, Modeling, and Simulation. SPIE Press, Bellingham, WA, USA. ISBN 0-8194-5186-X The writer is Professor, Department of Chemistry, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology