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44-814: EOSL develops technology in the areas of electro-optical modeling and analysis, nanotechnology , microelectronics and phosphor development, remote sensing , acoustics , and mechanical systems. EOSL has numerous technology areas of preeminence that include LIDAR systems development, hyperspectral and multispectral imaging, ultraviolet/infrared stimulator development, countermeasures technology, microelectronics , and electro-optical modeling and analysis. The research activities extend to carbon nanotubes ; RFID ; advanced container security development; optical tagging and tracking technology; measurement data collection, analysis, and dissemination; atmospheric modeling; geospatial information systems and analysis; and human vision modeling. The laboratory has been heavily involved in

88-595: A Malthusian view of exponential growth within limits to growth . He also promotes space advocacy , arguing that, because the universe is essentially infinite, life can escape the limits to growth defined by Earth. Drexler supports a form of the Fermi paradox , arguing that as there is no evidence of alien civilizations, "Thus for now, and perhaps forever, we can make plans for our future without concern for limits imposed by other civilizations." Drexler's 1992 book, Nanosystems: molecular machinery, manufacturing, and computation

132-706: A big-picture view, with more emphasis on societal implications than engineering details. Nanomaterials can be classified in 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D nanomaterials . Dimensionality plays a major role in determining the characteristic of nanomaterials including physical , chemical , and biological characteristics. With the decrease in dimensionality, an increase in surface-to-volume ratio is observed. This indicates that smaller dimensional nanomaterials have higher surface area compared to 3D nanomaterials. Two dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have been extensively investigated for electronic , biomedical , drug delivery and biosensor applications. The atomic force microscope (AFM) and

176-484: A debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted. The concepts that seeded nanotechnology were first discussed in 1959 by physicist Richard Feynman in his talk There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom , in which he described the possibility of synthesis via direct manipulation of atoms. The term "nano-technology" was first used by Norio Taniguchi in 1974, though it

220-437: A field in the 1980s occurred through the convergence of Drexler's theoretical and public work, which developed and popularized a conceptual framework, and high-visibility experimental advances that drew additional attention to the prospects. In the 1980s, two breakthroughs sparked the growth of nanotechnology. First, the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981 enabled visualization of individual atoms and bonds, and

264-729: A fuel catalyst. In the electric car industry, single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) address key lithium-ion battery challenges, including energy density, charge rate, service life, and cost. SWCNTs connect electrode particles during charge/discharge process, preventing battery premature degradation. Their exceptional ability to wrap active material particles enhanced electrical conductivity and physical properties, setting them apart multi-walled carbon nanotubes and carbon black. Further applications allow tennis balls to last longer, golf balls to fly straighter, and bowling balls to become more durable. Trousers and socks have been infused with nanotechnology to last longer and lower temperature in

308-436: A larger scale and come under the description of microtechnology . To put that scale in another context, the comparative size of a nanometer to a meter is the same as that of a marble to the size of the earth. Two main approaches are used in nanotechnology. In the "bottom-up" approach, materials and devices are built from molecular components which assemble themselves chemically by principles of molecular recognition . In

352-467: A manufacturing technology based on the mechanical functionality of these components (such as gears, bearings, motors, and structural members) that would enable programmable, positional assembly to atomic specification. The physics and engineering performance of exemplar designs were analyzed in Drexler's book Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation . In general, assembling devices on

396-761: A protein . Thus, components can be designed to be complementary and mutually attractive so that they make a more complex and useful whole. Such bottom-up approaches should be capable of producing devices in parallel and be much cheaper than top-down methods, but could potentially be overwhelmed as the size and complexity of the desired assembly increases. Most useful structures require complex and thermodynamically unlikely arrangements of atoms. Nevertheless, many examples of self-assembly based on molecular recognition in exist in biology , most notably Watson–Crick basepairing and enzyme-substrate interactions. Molecular nanotechnology, sometimes called molecular manufacturing, concerns engineered nanosystems (nanoscale machines) operating on

440-667: A public debate between Drexler and Smalley in 2001 and 2003. Meanwhile, commercial products based on advancements in nanoscale technologies began emerging. These products were limited to bulk applications of nanomaterials and did not involve atomic control of matter. Some examples include the Silver Nano platform for using silver nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent, nanoparticle -based sunscreens, carbon fiber strengthening using silica nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes for stain-resistant textiles. Governments moved to promote and fund research into nanotechnology, such as American

484-983: A surface with scanning probe microscopy techniques. Various techniques of lithography, such as optical lithography , X-ray lithography , dip pen lithography, electron beam lithography or nanoimprint lithography offer top-down fabrication techniques where a bulk material is reduced to a nano-scale pattern. Another group of nano-technological techniques include those used for fabrication of nanotubes and nanowires , those used in semiconductor fabrication such as deep ultraviolet lithography, electron beam lithography, focused ion beam machining, nanoimprint lithography, atomic layer deposition , and molecular vapor deposition , and further including molecular self-assembly techniques such as those employing di-block copolymers . In contrast, bottom-up techniques build or grow larger structures atom by atom or molecule by molecule. These techniques include chemical synthesis, self-assembly and positional assembly. Dual-polarization interferometry

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528-401: A useful conformation through a bottom-up approach. The concept of molecular recognition is important: molecules can be designed so that a specific configuration or arrangement is favored due to non-covalent intermolecular forces . The Watson–Crick basepairing rules are a direct result of this, as is the specificity of an enzyme targeting a single substrate , or the specific folding of

572-463: A wide variety of useful chemicals such as pharmaceuticals or commercial polymers . This ability raises the question of extending this kind of control to the next-larger level, seeking methods to assemble single molecules into supramolecular assemblies consisting of many molecules arranged in a well-defined manner. These approaches utilize the concepts of molecular self-assembly and/or supramolecular chemistry to automatically arrange themselves into

616-595: Is a technical treatment of similar material. Nanosystems addresses chemical, thermodynamic, and other constraints on nanotechnology and manufacturing. An updated version of the book, Engines of Creation 2.0 , which includes more recent papers and publications, was published as a free ebook on February 8, 2007. The book and the theories it presents have been the subject of some controversy. Scientists such as Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley and renowned chemist George M. Whitesides have been particularly critical. Smalley has engaged in open debate with Drexler , attacking

660-1053: Is controlled via changing voltage: a nanotube nanomotor , a molecular actuator, and a nanoelectromechanical relaxation oscillator. Ho and Lee at Cornell University in 1999 used a scanning tunneling microscope to move an individual carbon monoxide molecule (CO) to an individual iron atom (Fe) sitting on a flat silver crystal and chemically bound the CO to the Fe by applying a voltage. Many areas of science develop or study materials having unique properties arising from their nanoscale dimensions. The bottom-up approach seeks to arrange smaller components into more complex assemblies. These seek to create smaller devices by using larger ones to direct their assembly. Functional approaches seek to develop useful components without regard to how they might be assembled. These subfields seek to anticipate what inventions nanotechnology might yield, or attempt to propose an agenda along which inquiry could progress. These often take

704-434: Is one tool suitable for characterization of self-assembled thin films. Another variation of the bottom-up approach is molecular-beam epitaxy or MBE. Researchers at Bell Telephone Laboratories including John R. Arthur . Alfred Y. Cho , and Art C. Gossard developed and implemented MBE as a research tool in the late 1960s and 1970s. Samples made by MBE were key to the discovery of the fractional quantum Hall effect for which

748-663: Is still a slow process because of low velocity of the microscope. The top-down approach anticipates nanodevices that must be built piece by piece in stages, much as manufactured items are made. Scanning probe microscopy is an important technique both for characterization and synthesis. Atomic force microscopes and scanning tunneling microscopes can be used to look at surfaces and to move atoms around. By designing different tips for these microscopes, they can be used for carving out structures on surfaces and to help guide self-assembling structures. By using, for example, feature-oriented scanning approach, atoms or molecules can be moved around on

792-403: Is the science and engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. In its original sense, nanotechnology refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up making complete, high-performance products. One nanometer (nm) is one billionth, or 10 , of a meter. By comparison, typical carbon–carbon bond lengths , or the spacing between these atoms in a molecule , are in

836-541: The 1998 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded. MBE lays down atomically precise layers of atoms and, in the process, build up complex structures. Important for research on semiconductors, MBE is also widely used to make samples and devices for the newly emerging field of spintronics . Therapeutic products based on responsive nanomaterials , such as the highly deformable, stress-sensitive Transfersome vesicles, are approved for human use in some countries. As of August 21, 2008,

880-699: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health research potential health effects stemming from exposures to nanoparticles. Engines of creation Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology is a 1986 molecular nanotechnology book written by K. Eric Drexler with a foreword by Marvin Minsky . An updated version was released in 2007. The book has been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Chinese. The book features nanotechnology, which Richard Feynman had discussed in his 1959 speech " There's Plenty of Room at

924-661: The National Nanotechnology Initiative , which formalized a size-based definition of nanotechnology and established research funding, and in Europe via the European Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development . By the mid-2000s scientific attention began to flourish. Nanotechnology roadmaps centered on atomically precise manipulation of matter and discussed existing and projected capabilities, goals, and applications. Nanotechnology

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968-650: The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies estimated that over 800 manufacturer-identified nanotech products were publicly available, with new ones hitting the market at a pace of 3–4 per week. Most applications are "first generation" passive nanomaterials that includes titanium dioxide in sunscreen, cosmetics, surface coatings, and some food products; Carbon allotropes used to produce gecko tape ; silver in food packaging , clothing, disinfectants, and household appliances; zinc oxide in sunscreens and cosmetics, surface coatings, paints and outdoor furniture varnishes; and cerium oxide as

1012-567: The Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) are two versions of scanning probes that are used for nano-scale observation. Other types of scanning probe microscopy have much higher resolution, since they are not limited by the wavelengths of sound or light. The tip of a scanning probe can also be used to manipulate nanostructures (positional assembly). Feature-oriented scanning may be a promising way to implement these nano-scale manipulations via an automatic algorithm . However, this

1056-516: The Technion in order to increase youth interest in nanotechnology. One concern is the effect that industrial-scale manufacturing and use of nanomaterials will have on human health and the environment, as suggested by nanotoxicology research. For these reasons, some groups advocate that nanotechnology be regulated. However, regulation might stifle scientific research and the development of beneficial innovations. Public health research agencies, such as

1100-454: The nanoscale , surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing properties of matter. This definition of nanotechnology includes all types of research and technologies that deal with these special properties. It is common to see the plural form "nanotechnologies" as well as "nanoscale technologies" to refer to research and applications whose common trait is scale. An earlier understanding of nanotechnology referred to

1144-788: The " quantum size effect" in which the electronic properties of solids alter along with reductions in particle size. Such effects do not apply at macro or micro dimensions. However, quantum effects can become significant when nanometer scales. Additionally, physical (mechanical, electrical, optical, etc.) properties change versus macroscopic systems. One example is the increase in surface area to volume ratio altering mechanical, thermal, and catalytic properties of materials. Diffusion and reactions can be different as well. Systems with fast ion transport are referred to as nanoionics. The mechanical properties of nanosystems are of interest in research. Modern synthetic chemistry can prepare small molecules of almost any structure. These methods are used to manufacture

1188-421: The "top-down" approach, nano-objects are constructed from larger entities without atomic-level control. Areas of physics such as nanoelectronics , nanomechanics , nanophotonics and nanoionics have evolved to provide nanotechnology's scientific foundation. Several phenomena become pronounced as system size. These include statistical mechanical effects, as well as quantum mechanical effects, for example,

1232-466: The 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry . C 60 was not initially described as nanotechnology; the term was used regarding subsequent work with related carbon nanotubes (sometimes called graphene tubes or Bucky tubes) which suggested potential applications for nanoscale electronics and devices. The discovery of carbon nanotubes is largely attributed to Sumio Iijima of NEC in 1991, for which Iijima won

1276-634: The Bottom ." Drexler imagines a world where the entire Library of Congress can fit on a chip the size of a sugar cube and where universal assemblers , tiny machines that can build objects atom by atom, will be used for everything from medicinal robots that help clear capillaries to environmental scrubbers that clear pollutants from the air. In the book, Drexler proposes the gray goo scenario—one prediction of what might happen if molecular nanotechnology were used to build uncontrollable self-replicating machines. Topics also include hypertext as developed by Project Xanadu and life extension . Drexler takes

1320-482: The ability to make existing medical applications cheaper and easier to use in places like the doctors' offices and at homes. Cars use nanomaterials in such ways that car parts require fewer metals during manufacturing and less fuel to operate in the future. Nanoencapsulation involves the enclosure of active substances within carriers. Typically, these carriers offer advantages, such as enhanced bioavailability, controlled release, targeted delivery, and protection of

1364-777: The atomic scale requires positioning atoms on other atoms of comparable size and stickiness. Carlo Montemagno 's view is that future nanosystems will be hybrids of silicon technology and biological molecular machines. Richard Smalley argued that mechanosynthesis was impossible due to difficulties in mechanically manipulating individual molecules. This led to an exchange of letters in the ACS publication Chemical & Engineering News in 2003. Though biology clearly demonstrates that molecular machines are possible, non-biological molecular machines remained in their infancy. Alex Zettl and colleagues at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories and UC Berkeley constructed at least three molecular devices whose motion

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1408-535: The development of geographic information system databases and advanced rendering techniques to include modeling of various backgrounds in the ultraviolet to infrared portions of the spectrum. Research centers within EOSL include the following: The GTRI EOSL labs are located on Georgia Tech campus. Nanotechnology Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as

1452-641: The encapsulated substances. In the medical field, nanoencapsulation plays a significant role in drug delivery . It facilitates more efficient drug administration, reduces side effects, and increases treatment effectiveness. Nanoencapsulation is particularly useful for improving the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs, enabling controlled and sustained drug release, and supporting the development of targeted therapies. These features collectively contribute to advancements in medical treatments and patient care. Nanotechnology may play role in tissue engineering . When designing scaffolds, researchers attempt to mimic

1496-597: The inaugural 2008 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. In the early 2000s, the field garnered increased scientific, political, and commercial attention that led to both controversy and progress. Controversies emerged regarding the definitions and potential implications of nanotechnologies, exemplified by the Royal Society 's report on nanotechnology. Challenges were raised regarding the feasibility of applications envisioned by advocates of molecular nanotechnology, which culminated in

1540-443: The molecular scale. Molecular nanotechnology is especially associated with molecular assemblers , machines that can produce a desired structure or device atom-by-atom using the principles of mechanosynthesis . Manufacturing in the context of productive nanosystems is not related to conventional technologies used to manufacture nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles. When Drexler independently coined and popularized

1584-405: The nanoscale features of a cell 's microenvironment to direct its differentiation down a suitable lineage. For example, when creating scaffolds to support bone growth, researchers may mimic osteoclast resorption pits. Researchers used DNA origami -based nanobots capable of carrying out logic functions to target drug delivery in cockroaches. A nano bible (a .5mm2 silicon chip) was created by

1628-501: The nanoscale to direct control of matter on the atomic scale . Nanotechnology may be able to create new materials and devices with diverse applications , such as in nanomedicine , nanoelectronics , biomaterials energy production, and consumer products. However, nanotechnology raises issues, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as various doomsday scenarios . These concerns have led to

1672-584: The particular technological goal of precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for fabricating macroscale products, now referred to as molecular nanotechnology . Nanotechnology defined by scale includes fields of science such as surface science , organic chemistry , molecular biology , semiconductor physics , energy storage , engineering , microfabrication , and molecular engineering . The associated research and applications range from extensions of conventional device physics to molecular self-assembly , from developing new materials with dimensions on

1716-499: The range 0.12–0.15 nm , and DNA 's diameter is around 2 nm. On the other hand, the smallest cellular life forms, the bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma , are around 200 nm in length. By convention, nanotechnology is taken as the scale range 1 to 100 nm , following the definition used by the American National Nanotechnology Initiative . The lower limit is set by the size of atoms (hydrogen has

1760-407: The smallest atoms, which have an approximately ,25 nm kinetic diameter ). The upper limit is more or less arbitrary, but is around the size below which phenomena not observed in larger structures start to become apparent and can be made use of. These phenomena make nanotechnology distinct from devices that are merely miniaturized versions of an equivalent macroscopic device; such devices are on

1804-399: The summer. Bandages are infused with silver nanoparticles to heal cuts faster. Video game consoles and personal computers may become cheaper, faster, and contain more memory thanks to nanotechnology. Also, to build structures for on chip computing with light, for example on chip optical quantum information processing, and picosecond transmission of information. Nanotechnology may have

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1848-487: The term "nanotechnology", he envisioned manufacturing technology based on molecular machine systems. The premise was that molecular-scale biological analogies of traditional machine components demonstrated molecular machines were possible: biology was full of examples of sophisticated, stochastically optimized biological machines . Drexler and other researchers have proposed that advanced nanotechnology ultimately could be based on mechanical engineering principles, namely,

1892-530: Was not widely known. Inspired by Feynman's concepts, K. Eric Drexler used the term "nanotechnology" in his 1986 book Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology , which proposed the idea of a nanoscale "assembler" that would be able to build a copy of itself and of other items of arbitrary complexity with atom-level control. Also in 1986, Drexler co-founded The Foresight Institute to increase public awareness and understanding of nanotechnology concepts and implications. The emergence of nanotechnology as

1936-433: Was successfully used to manipulate individual atoms in 1989. The microscope's developers Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM Zurich Research Laboratory received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986. Binnig, Quate and Gerber also invented the analogous atomic force microscope that year. Second, fullerenes (buckyballs) were discovered in 1985 by Harry Kroto , Richard Smalley , and Robert Curl , who together won

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