Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Encompassing nanoscale science, engineering and technology, nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale.
At the nanoscale, the physical, chemical, and biological properties of materials differ in fundamental and valuable ways from the properties of individual atoms and molecules or bulk matter. Nanotechnology R&D is directed toward understanding and creating improved materials, devices, and systems that exploit these new properties.
One area of nanotechnology R&D is medicine. Medical researchers work at
the micro- and nano-scales to develop new drug delivery methods, therapeutics and pharmaceuticals. For a bit of perspective, the diameter of DNA, our genetic material, is in the 2.5 nanometer range, while red blood cells are approximately 2.5 micrometers.
Nanotechnology is the science of the extremely tiny. It involves the study and use of materials on an unimaginably small scale. Nano refers to a nanometre (nm). One nanometre is a millionth of a millimetre or about one eighty thousandth the width of a human hair.
One thing that all nanotechnologies share is the tiny dimensions that they operate on. They exploit the fact that, at this scale, materials can behave very differently from when they are in larger form. Nanomaterials can be stronger or lighter, or conduct heat or electricity in a different way. They can even change colour; particles of gold can appear red, blue or gold, depending on their size.
These special attributes are already being used in a number of ways, such as in making computer chips, CDs and mobile phones. But researchers are progressively finding out more about the nanoscale world and aim to use nanotechnologies to create new devices that are faster, lighter, stronger or more efficient.
Coined as "nano-technology" in a 1974 paper by Norio Taniguchi at the University of Tokyo, and encompassing a multitude of rapidly emerging technologies, based upon the scaling down of existing technologies to the next level of precision and miniaturization. Taniguchi approached nanotechnology from the 'top-down' standpoint, from the viewpoint of a precision engineer.
Foresight Nanotech Institute Founder K. Eric Drexler introduced the term "nanotechnology" to the world in 1986, using it to describe a 'bottom-up' approach. Drexler approaches nanotechnology from the point-of-view of a physicist, and defines the term as "large-scale mechanosynthesis based on positional control of chemically reactive molecules." See our Press Kit History of Nanotechnology for details.
In the future, "nanotechnology" will likely include building machines and mechanisms with nanoscale dimensions, referred to these days as
Molecular Nanotechnology (MNT).
Another way to visualize a nanometer:
1 inch = 25,400,000 nanometers
Red blood cells are ~7,000 nm in diameter, and ~2000 nm in height
White blood cells are ~10,000 nm in diameter
A virus is ~100 nm
A hydrogen atom is .1 nm
Nanoparticles range from 1 to 100 nm
Fullerenes (C60 / Buckyballs) are 1 nm
Quantum Dots (of CdSe) are 8 nm
Dendrimers are ~10 nm
DNA (width) is 2 nm
Proteins range from 5 to 50 nm
Viruses range from 75 to 100 nm
Bacteria range from 1,000 to 10,000 nm
