Introduction
“Nano” comes from a Greek word meaning ‘dwarf”. When used as a prefix for a measuring unit, it denotes one billionth of that unit. For example, “a nanometer refers to one-billionth of a meter or 10-9 meter, which is quite a small number” (Deal, 2002, p. 21). For comparison, human hair is about 80,000 nanometers thick (RoyalSociety 2004, p. 5). An atom is the smallest complete unit of matter and atoms combine to form molecules. Nanotechnology refers to the process of building new things on a very small scale from individual atoms and molecules. Traditionally, objects are made from raw materials such as wood, stone, cotton, metal, paper, etc. In the case of nanotechnology, the products are built by using atoms and molecules as the building blocks (Johnson, 2006).
The power of nanotechnology may be understood by using a simple example: coal and diamond have different characteristics but they are both made up of carbon atoms with different structural arrangements. Nanotechnology facilitates the rearrangement of atoms and molecules and thereby gives control over the characteristics of the product that is being made. Thus, many of the products of nanotechnology are new products with remarkable properties and some among them are tiny machines with specific functions. Nanotechnology can help create substances harder than steel that is light in weight, computer chips with heavy storage capacity and very small size, and so many other amazing things (Johnson, 2006). It is believed that nanotechnology will transform the way a man dresses, travels, and builds his city. It is already making its presence felt in diverse fields such as medicine, electronics, physical and natural sciences, materials science, engineering, and computer simulation.
Nanoparticles
In the field of nanotechnology, a “nanoparticle” refers to the discrete entity of a material whose dimensions are of the order 100 nm or less. Nanoparticles may be identified by their shape and different shapes have different characteristics. This gives rise to terms such as nanosheet, a nanoplate, nanolayers, nanorods, nanotubes, nanofiber, nanowire, and nanowhisker (Williams, 2008). Products made to have nanoparticles are known as “nanoparticulate matter” (Williams, 2008). Scientists believe that working on the atomic level can revolutionize the objects that are being made. Horst Stormer of Lucent Technologies says, “Nanotechnology has given us the tools… to play with the ultimate toy box of nature–atoms and molecules.
Everything is made from it… the possibilities to create things appear limitless.” (Deal, 2002, p. 21)). According to the National Science Foundation predicts, “nano-related goods and services could be a $1 trillion market by 2015” (Roco and Bainbridge 2001, p.3). There are some natural materials on the nanoscale and these include the nanostructure of lotus leaves that repel water, silk that is strong and flexible, and proteins such as hemoglobin that carry oxygen throughout the body (NNCO, 2011). Smoke, volcanic ash, and sea spray are all nanoscale materials found in the environment. In the tenth century, nanoscale gold was used in stained glass and ceramics. More recently, over the past two decades, nanoscale materials are being introduced in the world in the form of anti-bacterial wound dressings with nanoscale silver, high-powered batteries with nanoscale materials, cosmetics, scratches, and glare-resistant coatings for eyeglasses, etc. (NNCO, 2011).
Background
The concept of nanotechnology was first introduced in the 1950s by Nobel laureate physicist Richard Feynman in his lecture “There is Plenty of Room at the Bottom” where he envisioned a future in which materials could be made from the atomic or molecular level and the need for new miniature-sized instruments (Deal, 2002). However, this meant there was a need for specialized equipment that would enable working at the atomic level. Such instruments became a reality in the 1980s with the inventions of the “scanning tunneling microscopes (STM), atomic force microscopes (AFM), and near-field microscopes” (Davies, 2011, p. 7). K. Eric Drexler in 1986 in his book titled “Engineer of Creation” introduced the word “nanotechnology” to refer to the process of building materials and objects from the atomic level. The book was widely debated and became very popular. It also generated a lot of interest in nanotechnology. Drexler also began the Foresight Institute to create public awareness regarding nanotechnology.
Power of Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology can revolutionize the manufacture of automobiles, tires, fuels, and electronic circuits, provide advanced medicines and tissue replacements (Deal, 2002). It can even play God in creating new materials by assembling atoms in a particular manner. The trend towards miniaturization is increasing and there are now computer chips at the sub-micron level. Nanotechnologies can enhance the miniaturization efforts as electronic circuits can be made one atom at a time in a much smaller and more efficient fashion. Some recent discoveries in the field of nanotechnology that are creating waves are “the development of giant magnetoresistance for hard disk drives, nanolayers for data storage and photographic imaging industries, and nanoparticles for drugs in the pharmaceutical field” (Deal, 2002, p. 1).
Defining Nanotechnology
Defining Nanotechnology is a very difficult task as many nano-size materials and particles have been produced as byproducts in some chemical processes (Davies, 2011). It is widely accepted in scientific circles that the prefix “nano-” refers to a measurement of 10-9 units. Thus, a nanosecond would imply 10-9 seconds and a nanometre is 10-9 meters. However, it is very unrealistic to attach the word “nano” to strictly 10-9. There are two aspects of nanotechnology products that contribute to their unique features. While one of them is the miniature size, the other is the large surface area compared to volume. The unique properties of nanotechnology products are seen in the order of 100 nm and below and hence products within the entire range of dimensions at this level can be referred to as nanoproducts. Nanomaterial can be defined as “any form of a material that is composed of discrete functional parts, many of which have one or more dimensions in the order of 100 nm or less” (Williams, 2008, p. 1) Likewise, a nanocrystalline material is “a material that is comprised of many crystals, the majority of which have one or more dimensions in the order of 100 nm or less” (Williams, 2008, p. 1).
Conclusion: Need for Regulation
Size alone cannot be the only criteria to define nanotechnology. It needs to include regulatory criteria as well (Davies, 2011). According to the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) nanotechnology is “the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers … nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale” (Davies, 2011, p. 7). In Europe, nanotechnology is defined as the “technology dealing with applications and products with engineered structures smaller than 100 nanometers” (Swiss RE, 2004, p.11). The reason that regulation has to be an integral part of nanotechnology is that nanotechnology materials behave uniquely and their properties cannot be deduced from known scientific laws and scientific facts. For example, while aluminum is safe in the making of cans, nano-sized aluminum can be highly explosive and find application in making bombs (Davies, 2009).
The laws of electricity that apply to normal materials may not apply to nano-sized materials made with nanotechnology. The safety of these nanomaterials is not known concerning the environment and human health. The toxicity of these materials is likely to be in proportion to the surface area rather than to the weight (Oberdorster, 2005). The volume of the material cannot be assumed to be in proportion to its exposure. Above all, the physical and biological properties of nanomaterials will be highly dependent on their structure so much so, scientists refer to nanomaterials as “nanostructured materials”. Nanotechnology starts with the basic building block of an atom and uses a basic structure. The structure could be a nanodot or nanotube. These miniature structures are combined to form larger structures sometimes, in combination with other elements such as textile, resin, or glass (Davies, 2011). It is important to remember, more than the original atoms used to build the nanomaterial, the properties of the nano product will depend on its structure. Hence new regulations are necessary to ensure safety in the production processes of nanotechnology (Davies, 2011).
Bibliography
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