Nanoscience is the study of extremely small things and the application of that knowledge to create new materials and devices. It is a relatively young field that has grown out of the need for better understanding and control of matter at the atomic level. In recent years, nanoscience has made great strides in both its understanding of matter and its ability to manipulate it.
The word “nano” comes from the Greek word for dwarf. Nanoscience deals with objects that are smaller than 100 nanometers (nm). To put this in perspective, a human hair is about 90,000 nm wide, while a red blood cell is about 7,000 nm wide. At these sizes, the rules of classical physics no longer apply and quantum effects become important.
Nanoscience covers a wide range of topics including: synthesis of new materials with novel properties; study of how materials interact at the nano-scale; development of new methods for manufacturing and processing; creation of devices with unique functions not possible at larger scales; and exploration of potential applications in areas such as medicine, energy, environment and computing.
While nanoscience is still an emerging field, it has already led to some amazing advances. For example, researchers have used nanotechnology to create cancer drugs that stay in the body longer and target specific cancers cells without harming healthy cells nearby. They have also developed super strong yet lightweight materials for use in everything from airplanes to sporting equipment. And they have created tiny machines that can be injected into the human body to perform tasks like cleaning arteries or delivering drugs directly to tumors.
As nanoscience continues to evolve, it holds tremendous promise for transforming our world in ways we cannot even imagine today.