Nanotechnology and new materials

Nanotechnology and new materials

1. The study, analysis, structure, formation, design and operation of matter at a scale smaller than a micrometer.

2. Important physicists that contributed with the development of nanotechnology

   • Richard Feynman
   • Norio Taniguchi
   • Gerd Binnig and Heintich Roher
   • Harlod Kroto, Robert Curl and Richard Smalley
   • K. Eric Drexler
   • C.F. Quate and Ch. Gerber
   • Donald M. Eigler, Roger Bacon, Richard Smalley, Sumio Ijima

3. Nanoparticles

   • Class of materials that include substances smaller than 100 nm. The size influence the physical-chemical properties.
   • NP based on carbon
   • NP metallic
   • NP ceramics
   • NP semiconductors
   • NP polymeric
   • NP based on lipids

4. Allotropic forms of carbon

   • The different physical forms in which carbon atoms can be arranged and linked
   • Crystalline
     • DIamond and graphite
       • Graphite forms hexagonal crystals since the arrangement of its atoms has hybridization sp2
       • Diamond consists of carbon atoms with hybiridaztion sp3
   • Amorphous
     • Porous sponge
   • Fullerenes
     • Holllow structure of up to 60 carbon atoms hybrid sp2 and sp3
     • They can form in nature and be extracted. They have high strength
       • buckyballs, mega-tubes, nano onion, ball and chain dimers
       • THey are antioxidants, antiviral, great at delivery of medication, photosesitizers and optical properties
   • Nanotubes
     • Discovered by Sumio Iijima. They are created by a catalytic method and by an electric arc method
       • Very resistant and conductive

5. Nanomaterials

   • Compounds with sizes less than 1 µm in at least one dimension
     • Physical, chemical, optic and magnetic properties
       • Natural or anthropogenic
       • According to their nano dimensions: 0D, 1D, 2D, 3D
       • Based on the chemical nature: metallic, metal oxides, semiconductors, carbon or silicates

6. Applications of nanotechnology

   • Electronics: biosensors, ultra screens, flexible devices
   • Medicine and health: liposomes, nanocrystals, emulsions that make more efficent the drugs transportation.
   • Energy: nanofluids for solar cells, biofuels
   • Environment: nanoparticles that clean and converts pollutants, nanoporous membranes for purification.