Nano-everything

04 December, 2008, 07:07

Russia’s bid to step away from an economy based on producing and exporting energy and metals has moved in several directions. One of them is Rosnano – a state-owned non-profit company that promotes and finances nano-scie

Rosnano has healthy funding and unprecedented privileges in terms of taxation and freedom of operation. When it was created in 2007, the government invested $US 4.7 BLN into the company, and according to its head Anatoly Chubais, has managed to allocate them before the financial market hit the world.

The huge promotional campaign of the initiative has almost fetishised the word ‘nano’ in Russia. The buzz was similar to what the U.S. and Europe saw several years ago. There was nano-everything, from nano-concrete to nano-bombs to nano-socks. There is even a joke that the first big achievement of Russian nanotechnology is the new President – referring to Dmitry Medvedev’s height of 162 cm.

‘Nanotoly’ Chubais is pushing Russia’s

The scale of public interest could be only compared to public ignorance. With only a tiny part of the population willing or able to understand what nanotechnology is and what it is not, hoax enterprises mushroomed with the prefix ‘nano’ in order to hike the price of their products several times. It was like the frenzy in Europe of the early 1900s when people were rushing to buy ‘radioactive’ toothpaste, chocolate and cigars – the radioactive decay had just been discovered and became a fad in the science-obsessed society.

Critics say Rosnano cannot be efficient in stimulating research and has actually hurt the image of real nanotechnology applications. Proponents argue that state corporations are successfully used in other sectors of the Russian economy and point out at Anatoly Chubais’ experience in managing big and complex projects. Before the appointment to Rosnano (wisecrackers nicknamed him ‘Nanotoly’ after it) he headed RAO UES and managed to divide and privatise the Soviet-time energy giant.

But can investment in nanotechnology really change the face of Russian economy? That depends.

Knocking on quantum scale’s door

Nanotechnology is a very broad term that can refer to a lot of branches of science. The word itself was coined by Professor Norio Taniguchi in 1974. Nano is a prefix that means one billionth. In the case of nanotech it is one billionth of meter. It’s the scale of molecules and atoms, the scale where the unusual effects of quantum physics gain enough influence to affect the way things work. Nanotechnology deals with lengths from 1nm (three atoms of silicon stacked together are about this size) to 100nm (the HIV virus is 90nm long).

Gecko can climb walls thanks to natural nano

In nature there are many examples of curious nano-effects in action. A gecko has the ability to climb walls thanks to millions of tiny hairs on its feet with a structure much like crown of a tree. The surface area they have, and when pressed to a vertical surface is enough to hold the reptile. A less obvious example is protein synthesis. All proteins in our body are built by ribosomes. A ribosome is essentially a nano-factory that gets info from DNA and produces a working protein from the bricks of amino acids. The big challenge for nanotechnology is to mimic this process.

Until recently there were no means to manipulate or even observe objects this small, so the nano-scale is largely terra incognita for researchers. The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) that allows imaging surfaces on the atomic level was invented in 1981 and its creators Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer were awarded the Nobel Prize for it. Today scientists use a design based on the STM called the atomic force microscope (AFM). It can even move separate atoms around to produce patterns or even pictures.

On the other hand, the use of nanotechnology dates back centuries ago. Medieval craftsmen used paint with nano-particles of gold in it for making church stained-glass windows. When the glass is bombarded by direct sunlight, the particles are released into the air and kill bacteria. Churches were often used as hospitals, and treatment of epidemics was actually more efficient there. So, without knowing it, people were using nanotechnology to combat disease.

Nanobama – nano-tribute of the University of Michigan to president-elect

Today we already bask in nano-products. Computer processors and other microelectronic circuits passed the 100nm landmark in 2003. Now basic elements of the processors have the size of just 32nm, and reaching 22nm is expected by 2012. However there’s a limit to how small silicon-based transistors can become, and we are likely to see new materials and new manufacturing techniques introduced in a decade’s time.

Nowadays there are several areas where going nano can bring dramatic benefits, including energy, medicine, material science and electronics.

Nanohilating poverty and pollution

Humanity is hungry for energy. Last century’s search for abundant and cheap energy was in atomic power, but its fruits were not as plentiful as it was hoped. Conventional nuclear power plants are expensive and require special fuel while harnessing thermonuclear power is a matter of years of research and billions of dollars of investment.

Solar power could become the alternative thanks to nanotech. Today solar panels are terribly inefficient. They convert about 15 percent of light’s energy into electricity – the rest is wasted as heat. There are more efficient designs used on satellites with a conversion ratio twice that of regular panels. Unfortunately they use rare materials like gallium or iridium, rather than common silicon, which is not especially cheap itself. But quantum dots – semiconductor crystals several nanometres in diameter – can dramatically boost a solar panel’s yield. Roof panels on the homes of the future may provide all the necessary energy needed, and it will be green too.

‘Smart drugs’ may beat cancer and other diseases

The walls and floors will also change. The addition of nano-sized particles and fullerene tubes – cylindrical carbon molecules with astounding tensile strength – to concretes and alloys will make them stronger and more resistant to corrosion. In addition, tiny nano-electronic sensors will monitor construction for defects and dangerous stress.

Another possible breakthrough is the cheap production of fresh water. Nanotechnology will allow the creation of efficient filters that let only water molecules pass through and separate impurities and microorganisms. The food industry will also benefit. Even now meat producers try to substitute antibiotics which are fed to animals with nano-particles of silver. It’s hoped that the antiseptic effect of the metal enhanced by the tiny size will be more efficient in preventing disease.

Nanotechnology could be key to hydrogen-based automobiles. Now the gas is stored in pressure tanks, and any accident may result in a powerful blast. A porous material that makes hydrogen inert would prevent this and make polluting gasoline and diesel vehicles obsolete. And if not, it will make catalytic converters and exhaust filters cheap enough to be fitted to all cars.

One of the most prospective applications of nanotechnology is medicine and pharmacy. In the future we will be able to wrap medicine in nano-capsules that will deliver them right to the problematic cells and ignore healthy ones. It will be a leap forward for treating cancer, as currently, oncologists are barred from using strong drugs in large doses because they not only kill tumours but also harm normal organs.

Being on the top in future nano world is the big goal. (Click to enlarge)

Nano-sensors can help medicine in terms of precise and early diagnosis of various conditions. And once molecular assembly technology is developed, doctors will be able to tailor medicine to individual patients. Maybe instead of buying our pills in chemists they will be dispensed with special devices at home in the future.

In the optimistic scenario all these applications can break the current disproportion between rich and poor on a global scale. It will save us from resources shortage and allow us to clean the planet.

Nanopacalypse tomorrow

Of course, the bright nano-future has its downsides. As early as 1986 nanotechnology pioneer Eric Drexler, in his book “Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology”, theorised that self-replicating nanobots used for molecular assembly may eventually run out of control and consume all biomass on Earth. The apocalyptic ‘Grey Goo’ scenario has its well-deserved place in science fiction, and Drexler later admitted such bots are not necessary for nano-scale manufacture, but there are other risks we should be cautious of.

When milled into nano-sized powder many substances change their properties. They have higher reactivity, can penetrate cell membranes and are subject to some quantum effects.

Nanopacalypse: the grey goo consumes all life on Earth

Products with nano-powders already exist. Silver nano particles are used for instance in bandages to sterilise wounds and stimulate healing, and a special calcium-based solution currently in development will help treating bone fractures by forming a carcass for regenerating bone and providing material for it.

However, the long-term effects that nano particles will have on living organism is not known. Some believe it may eventually be harmful like asbestos, which was widely used in construction, but was later revealed to cause lung disease. The influential UK charity Soil Association refuses to certify products that contain such material for this very reason.

Another source of danger comes from the military application of nanotechnology. In addition to making stronger armour and ‘smart’ combat cloth, nanotech can be used to stabilize powerful explosives and make them into smaller and deadlier weapons. If those come into terrorists’ possession, the consequences may be disastrous.

Cheaper and smaller microchips and sensors open the way for privacy infringement. With more and more data about each and every person being collected, all kinds of disturbing scenarios become possible, starting with dystopian and unrealistic Orwellian police states and down to very possible criminals stealing your personal data for their profit.

Nanoreality unknown

Futurology in 19th century: “In 100 years people will have personal airships”

The hard truth about prognosis and futurology is that the forecast is most likely wrong. People tend to project their present into technologies not yet developed, but reality regularly produces something completely new. In early 19th century people were expecting personal airships and a transport collapse due to horses producing too much dung, rather than the Boeing Dreamliner and traffic jams in Manhattan. Fifty years ago no one expected you would be able talk to your family across the globe from any place thanks to mobile phones. The same will happen with nanotechnology.

Yet what remains true is that producing state-of-art marvels that you can’t see with naked eye will be better then buying it from another country. Russia wants to be one of the big players in the nano-world.

Alexandre Antonov, RT