Home > News > Nanotechnology is providing a 'toolkit' for advances in many areas of science
May 25th, 2011
Nanotechnology is providing a 'toolkit' for advances in many areas of science
Abstract:
Nanoscience remains a cutting-edge subject, operating on a truly remarkable scale imperceptible to the human eye. But from aircraft design to the fashion industry, the application of the technology is already widespread - and that is only the start.
It's one of those terms that confers cool and mystery on to anything it touches. Researching new materials is one thing, working on nanomaterials seems to be at a different level. Chemistry is a fundamental science subject in universities, but nanochemistry seems to be brand new, more cutting edge. Science might be interesting, but nanoscience is somehow sexy. You get the picture.
Those four letters are, at the same time and depending on who you are, awe-inducing, money-making or frightening.
Nanoscience, and the resulting nanotechnology, is the study of materials and processes at the level of atoms and molecules. A nanometre is one billionth of a metre, roughly half the diameter of a DNA molecule or one-thousandth the width of a human hair.
The ideas of nanotechnology have been around for decades, but it wasn't until the 1980s, with the development of scanning microscopy and the move to make computers and machines as small as possible, that its true potential began to be apparent.
Source:
guardian.co.uk
| Related News Press |
Chemistry
Projecting light to dispense liquids: A new route to ultra-precise microdroplets January 30th, 2026
From sensors to smart systems: the rise of AI-driven photonic noses January 30th, 2026
News and information
Decoding hydrogen‑bond network of electrolyte for cryogenic durable aqueous zinc‑ion batteries January 30th, 2026
COF scaffold membrane with gate‑lane nanostructure for efficient Li+/Mg2+ separation January 30th, 2026
Possible Futures
Decoding hydrogen‑bond network of electrolyte for cryogenic durable aqueous zinc‑ion batteries January 30th, 2026
COF scaffold membrane with gate‑lane nanostructure for efficient Li+/Mg2+ separation January 30th, 2026
Nanoelectronics
Lab to industry: InSe wafer-scale breakthrough for future electronics August 8th, 2025
Interdisciplinary: Rice team tackles the future of semiconductors Multiferroics could be the key to ultralow-energy computing October 6th, 2023
Key element for a scalable quantum computer: Physicists from Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen University demonstrate electron transport on a quantum chip September 23rd, 2022
Reduced power consumption in semiconductor devices September 23rd, 2022
Materials/Metamaterials/Magnetoresistance
First real-time observation of two-dimensional melting process: Researchers at Mainz University unveil new insights into magnetic vortex structures August 8th, 2025
Researchers unveil a groundbreaking clay-based solution to capture carbon dioxide and combat climate change June 6th, 2025
A 1960s idea inspires NBI researchers to study hitherto inaccessible quantum states June 6th, 2025
Institute for Nanoscience hosts annual proposal planning meeting May 16th, 2025
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Metasurfaces smooth light to boost magnetic sensing precision January 30th, 2026
COF scaffold membrane with gate‑lane nanostructure for efficient Li+/Mg2+ separation January 30th, 2026
Tools
Metasurfaces smooth light to boost magnetic sensing precision January 30th, 2026
From sensors to smart systems: the rise of AI-driven photonic noses January 30th, 2026
Japan launches fully domestically produced quantum computer: Expo visitors to experience quantum computing firsthand August 8th, 2025
Textiles/Clothing
Protective equipment with graphene nanotubes meets the strictest ESD safety standards March 25th, 2022
Polymer fibers with graphene nanotubes make it possible to heat hard-to-reach, complex-shaped items February 11th, 2022
Flexible material shows potential for use in fabrics to heat, cool July 3rd, 2020
Aerospace/Space
Decoding hydrogen‑bond network of electrolyte for cryogenic durable aqueous zinc‑ion batteries January 30th, 2026
ICFO researchers overcome long-standing bottleneck in single photon detection with twisted 2D materials August 8th, 2025
Onion-like nanoparticles found in aircraft exhaust May 14th, 2025
Personal Care/Cosmetics
DGIST and New Life Group launched a research project on "Functional beauty and health products using the latest nanotechnology" May 12th, 2023
A Comprehensive Guide: The Future of Nanotechnology September 13th, 2018
Graphene finds new application as anti-static hair dye: New formula works as well as commercial permanent dyes without chemically altering hairs March 22nd, 2018
Programmable materials find strength in molecular repetition May 23rd, 2016
|
|
||
|
|
||
| The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
|
|
||
|
|
||
| Premium Products | ||
|
|
||
|
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
|
|
||
|
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||
|
|
||