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Nanotechnology refers to the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules, making it possible to build machines using molecular building blocks or create materials and structures from the bottom up by designing properties to control structure.
Nano is Greek for dwarf, and is scientific lingo for one-billionth. A single nanometer, 1 billionth of a meter, is about four times wider than the size of an atom and more than 1,000 times narrower than the width of a human hair.
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The timeline of nanotechnology history usually begins with a talk given in 1959 by
physicist Richard
Feynman, titled "There's
Plenty of Room at the Bottom." The next milestone comes in 1981, when MIT
graduate student K. Eric Drexler, inspired by Feynman, published an article
called "Protein design as a pathway to
molecular manufacturing." This is followed by Drexler's definitive 1986
book, Engines of
Creation, now available on the Web in its entirety.
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There are many exciting nano products on the market today, and many more nearing
market entry. Perhaps the best example of a successful nano product are Nano~Tex
molecular engineered textiles, which were one of Time Magazine's 2002 Best Inventions. Nano~Tex currently
markets four different products to such companies as Levi Dockers,
GAP, Savane, and Eddie Bauer. All of these textiles utilize nanotechnology, for
example, Nano-Care attaches whiskery molecules onto cotton fibers which are used
to repel water and oil molecules. We recently purchased a pair for $30, and
found them to function as advertised. The following article is an excellent
6-page read describing the evolution of Nano-Tex from inception to
success: The Next Wave. Here are a few more examples:
- Nissan has used carbon nanotubes in their X-TRAIL SUV since November
2002
Look Japan
Article
- NEC Corp plans to ship fuel cells for notebook computers in 2004
and cell phones in 2005:
Small Times Article
- Samsung is due to release a carbon nanotube television in Fall of
this year.
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A taxonomy that is often used to classify the “time
to market” for nanotechnology companies is a framework by Mihail "Mike" Roco's
of the four generations of nanotechnology.
Dr. Roco is Chairman of the Federal Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science
Engineering and Technology which oversees the National Nanotechnology
Initiative. His four generations of
nanotechnology are as follows:
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Generation 1
Passive nanostructures, including
coatings, nanoparticles and nanostructured metals, polymers and ceramics. Emerged around 2001.
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Generation 2
Active nanostructures, including transistors, targeted drugs and
chemicals, actuators and adaptive structures.
Should emerge around 2005.
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Generation 3
3-D nanosystems, including heterogeneous nanocomponents and various
assembling techniques, networking at the nanoscale and new architectures. Should emerge around
2010.
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Generation 4
Molecular nanosystems, consisting
of heterogeneous molecules that mimic the processes of life. May emerge around 2020.
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The NRDA bill authorizes appropriations for nanotechnology R&D programs at
the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The following table shows
the respective amounts for each agency:
The complete bill can be seen using the
following link:
National Nanotechnology Research and Development Program
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