Nanotechnology Thought Leaders

The AZoNano.com "Nanotech Thought Leaders" series is a selection of articles that cover the key technology areas where Nanotechnology is making an impact and where it will make an increasing impact. All the articles are written by experts who have been invited as recognised leaders in their fields to provide a "state of the art" contribution.

Temptation, Temptation, Temptation: Why Easy Answers About Nanomaterial Risk are Probably Wrong
Nanomaterials - Securing the Future with Lessons from the Past
Electronics With Single Molecules
Engineering of Nanomembranes for Emerging Applications
Polyelectrolyte Films - Versatile Approach to Generate Well-Controlled Environments for Tissue Engineering Applications
Soft Lithography Enhances Biological Cells Imaging
Fabrication of Organic Photovoltaic Devices
Materials-Biology Interactions, A Huge Challenge for Nanotechnological Applications
Are Carbon Nanotubes the Ultimate Water Transporters?
Functionalizing the Surface of Nanoparticles: The Approaches Used at the Adolphe Merkle Institute
Carbon Nanotube Strain Sensors for Structure Health Monitoring in Bridges
Dynamics of Nanocatalytical Model Systems
Fractals in Nano-Devices
Novel, Biologically Inspired Approach to High-Performance Batteries
Using Nanotechnology to Improve Photocatalytic Efficiencies for Water Treatment
Coventry Still Makes Transport; Unique Molecular Delivery Systems for Functional Polymers
Incorporation of Nanotechnology in Textile Applications
Applications of Functionalized PMMA Derivatives in Nanobiomedicine and Nanotechnology
Food as an Application Field for Nanotechnology
Using Nanotechnology to Measure Mercury
Using Nanotechnology to Increase Data Capacity
How Nanotechnology Promises to Greatly Reduce the Manufacturing Cost of Fuel Cells
Nanofabrication and Evanescent Near Field Optical Lithography
Targeted Nanoparticles as a Safe Platform for Delivery of RNAi Payloads to Immune Cells

Temptation, Temptation, Temptation: Why Easy Answers About Nanomaterial Risk are Probably Wrong

Whilst many celebrate the amazing properties these novel materials can bring to technological applications, others fear we may be opening a modern Pandora's box. Read more

Nanomaterials - Securing the Future with Lessons from the Past

Nanotechnology has come to symbolize the next industrial revolution in America. The opportunities to reduce the scale of products, to make materials lighter and stronger, and to design machines that perform useful functions on the micrometer and smaller scale seem endless. Read more

Electronics With Single Molecules

Single molecule electronics is a research field focusing on the study of electron transfer through single molecules. One of the long-term goals is to develop devices with functional units defined by the single molecule. Read more

Engineering of Nanomembranes for Emerging Applications

Nanoscience and nanotechnology is recognized as the key strategy to improve conventional and develop new membrane technologies by exploring novel nanomaterials and nano-scale processes. Read more

Polyelectrolyte Films - Versatile Approach to Generate Well-Controlled Environments for Tissue Engineering Applications

One of the challenges in tissue engineering applications is to preserve cells normal physical activities on synthetic scaffolds and maintain tissue-specific function . Read more

Soft Lithography Enhances Biological Cells Imaging

The development of microarrays for analysis and manipulation of cells or viruses has attracted considerable interest from both researchers and biomedical related industry. Read more

Fabrication of Organic Photovoltaic Devices

The next generation of solar cells will be light, flexible, attractive and most importantly, cheap, because they will be made from organic (plastic) materials. Their flexible lightweight properties will enable them to be deployed over a wide range of new applications. Read more

Materials-Biology Interactions, A Huge Challenge for Nanotechnological Applications

The interaction of man-made materials with biological systems is an important issue, especially for products in the fields of medicine, food, cosmetics and other consumer products. The new possibilities offered by nanotechnology will, most likely, lead to an increase in contact with living systems. Read more

Are Carbon Nanotubes the Ultimate Water Transporters?

Water flow through a garden hose or a nanochannel (10^-9 m) has incredibly different fluid flow transport mechanisms. In one case the theory of fluid dynamics holds and in the other nanoscale phenomena dominant. In a hose single water molecule transport is not a dominate feature however the unique properties of, in particular, carbon nanotubes make single water molecule transport a reality. Interestingly, it is the entry and exit of water molecules that is believed to be the factor limiting transport . So how does this come about? Read more

Functionalizing the Surface of Nanoparticles: The Approaches Used at the Adolphe Merkle Institute

For their integration into a desired matrix, nanoparticles often require a surface treatment after or during their synthesis to make them compatible with the surrounding matrix material. Colloidal particles are per definition a suspension of hard or soft particles suspended in a solution. For a successful synthesis and colloidal stability, a surface stabilization is necessary, which can either be electrostatic or steric. Read more

Carbon Nanotube Strain Sensors for Structure Health Monitoring in Bridges

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are rolled up sheets of graphite that form into a tube with only one layer of carbon atoms (single walled carbon nanotubes) or a tube with many layers of carbon atoms (multi wall carbon nanotubes) with diameters in the nanometer range and only a few microns in length. Read more

Dynamics of Nanocatalytical Model Systems

The world is facing a variety of serious challenges in securing more efficient and sustainable chemical and energy production. Catalysis already plays a central role in such technologies, but novel and inexpensive catalysts are urgently required if we are to meet the global challenges. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) is a unique real-space technique of catalyst model systems that can provide new insights into industrial catalytic systems identifying the active sites, the importance of defect sites, and support effects. Read more

Fractals in Nano-Devices

Future nano-devices are expected to underpin many of the technologies that society relies on, ranging from household electronics to medical implants. One of the great challenges of bringing this promising future into reality lies in developing practical methods for constructing these highly intricate structures: How will we assemble electronic circuits that feature many more components than today's commercial circuits and where each component approaches the atomic scale? Read more

Novel, Biologically Inspired Approach to High-Performance Batteries

New materials are needed to radically transform the efficiencies of energy harnessing, transduction, storage and delivery, yet the synthesis of advanced composites and multi-metallic semiconductors with nanostructures optimized for these functions remains poorly understood and even less well controlled. Read more

Using Nanotechnology to Improve Photocatalytic Efficiencies for Water Treatment

Heterogeneous photocatalysis involves the use of a semi-conducting material which can be excited by the absorption of light. The applications of photocatalysis include water treatment and purification, air treatment and purification, and 'self-cleaning' surfaces. Photosynthetic applications are also widely reported including photoelectrolytic water splitting, CO₂ reduction and organic synthesis. Read more

Coventry Still Makes Transport; Unique Molecular Delivery Systems for Functional Polymers

Coventry based advanced technology company Exilica Limited has recently teamed up with Rondol Technology Limited, a producer of polymer processing equipment, to produce prototype composite plastics containing Exilica's µ-Sq beads and Hollow silica shells. Read more

Incorporation of Nanotechnology in Textile Applications

Nanotechnology is considered one of the most promising technologies for the 21st century. On the one hand there is the economical impact from new and optimised products. On the other hand one expects a strong contribution of nanotechnology in decreasing the ecological impact and consumption of natural resources. Nanotechnology has the potential to improve the effectiveness of a number of existing consumer and industrial products and is expected to have a substantial impact on the development of new applications. Read more

Applications of Functionalized PMMA Derivatives in Nanobiomedicine and Nanotechnology

PMMA is a non water soluble polymer that can be synthesized in a very controllable way by different polymerization techniques, with a narrow molecular distribution and it is easily functionalizable. Among these advantages, this polymer is very stable and easy to handle. Read more

Food as an Application Field for Nanotechnology

Food is not the first field that comes to mind when looking for opportunities to apply the results of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Most people like their food natural and do not want too much technology to be involved. But when looking more closely, it becomes apparent that the food industry, society and, more importantly, the individual consumer can benefit from applications of nanotechnology. Read more

Using Nanotechnology to Measure Mercury

Mercury is a common environmental pollutant with well known bioaccumulative and neurotoxic properties. In the gas phase, elemental mercury has an average atmospheric residence time of 5.7 years before it is absorbed by aquatic life and enters into the food chain. Read more

Using Nanotechnology to Increase Data Capacity

Information storage is such an important aspect that it has been pioneering the development of information technology. As one of the most promising subsets, optical data storage has led to a series of revolutionary advances in this area. Read more

How Nanotechnology Promises to Greatly Reduce the Manufacturing Cost of Fuel Cells

There has been a lot of talk in the mainstream media regarding fuel cell powered vehicles as a greener and cleaner alternative to petrol engines over the past few years. A major obstacles to this revolution is the cost of hydrogen fuel cell power plants. Read more

Nanofabrication and Evanescent Near Field Optical Lithography

Optical lithography has driven many of the advances in nano-scale manufacturing, with its ability to print ever smaller features as the technology matures. Read more

Targeted Nanoparticles as a Safe Platform for Delivery of RNAi Payloads to Immune Cells

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful strategy for suppressing gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. This strategy offers new potential opportunities for treating various diseases by addressing otherwise 'undruggable' targets. Read more