Nanotechnology is already present in a number of consumer goods, and has been for years. The improvements that nanotechnology offers include stain-resistant fabrics, lighter and more responsive sports equipment, and advanced cosmetics. Some companies highlight the fact they are using nanotechnology to improve their products (such as Nanotex clothes), whilst some products are quietly enhanced by the science, such as suncream.
Cosmetics
For most consumers, the most obvious applications of nanotechnology have been in the cosmetic industry. New formulations of vitamins and anti-ageing chemicals, such as retinol, have been packaged inside liposomes and micelles in the form of creams. These are made up of fatty acid molecules which do not dissolve in water, but instead assemble into nanoscale globes that can contain the vitamin or anti-ageing chemical, either dissolved in the fat itself or in a separate enclosed water droplet. The advantage of applying such creams is that liposome or micelle is easily absorbed by cells in the skin, and so increases the amount of active ingredient where it is needed. In a similar way, liposome and micelle formulations are now being used to increase the nutritional quality of packaged foods. The fatty globes, instead of delivering vitamins to the skin, help vitamins, minerals and other nutrients (collectively known as nutriceuticals) to be absorbed by the digestive system.
Other cosmetics employ a more straightforward approach, for example suncreams. Zinc oxide has been used as a sunblock for several decades, however in its normal formulation it is a white paste (which is not very attractive!). By reducing the size of the zinc oxide particles to the nanoscale, the optical properties are changed (they are now transparent to visible light), however their other properties remain the same (they can still absorb and block UV light) and so an effective and attractive product is made.
Nanotechnology can improve fabrics, making them harder wearing and more resistant to dirt, water, oils or other chemicals. Many of these developments are based on what happens in nature. For example the lotus leaf is covered in nanoscale waxy “bumps” which causes water to bead and be shed easily (pictured left). Fruits such as peaches are covered in tiny hairs which achieve the same effect. By incorporating such features in manufactured materials they too can be made water and stain repellent.
Nanotechnology is also leading to the incorporation of other features in clothing. This includes electronics for regulating temperature and monitoring health, lighter impact resistant materials and even shape-changing and colour-changing abilities. Although initially being developed by the military these could be used by police and rescue workers, offering for example constant monitoring of vital signs and greater body protection.
Nanotechnology is being applied to many areas of sport. Tennis and golf are traditionally two of the main sports that embrace new technology, and their use of nanotechnology has further strengthened this claim. In the world of competitive sport even the most minimal changes in equipment can make all the difference between winning and losing.
Golf club manufacturer Wilson has invested heavily in nanotechnology in recent years, particularly nanometal coatings. The nanometals have a crystalline structure, and although they are hundreds of times smaller than traditional metals, they are four times stronger. Wilson are now making clubs which are lighter yet more powerful as a result of nanotechnology.
NanoDynamics - a nanoscale engineering and materials company - have recently produced golf balls with nanoscale coating to reduce 'spring' and allow a truer contact with the club, producing shots that do not go further, but do travel straighter.
In tennis, Wilson are once again leading the way - they have started adding nanosize silicon dioxide crystals to their racquets, offering increased power but not at the expense of weight.
Carbon nanotubes have been used in sports equipment for a few years now, particularly by companies such as Yonex, makers of badminton racquets. These racquets are lighter, which allows for a more compact swing that still produces maximum power.
Electronics
Nanotechnology is bringing about a new era of consumer electronics. Advanced features, faster communication and increased portability will be the hallmarks of nanotechnology-based electronic products. We will see electronic devices such as cameras and MP3 players with far larger storage capacity than we are used to at present; terabytes instead of gigabytes will be the norm. Displays will be highly advanced and portable, with the capability to display limitless colour, yet also be light and potentially even flexible. This involves reducing power consumption while decreasing the weight and thickness of the screens. Increasing the density of memory chips. Researchers are developing a type of memory chip with a projected density of one terabyte of memory per square inch or greater. Reducing the size of transistors used in integrated circuits. One researcher believes it may be possible to "put the power of all of today's present computers in the palm of your hand".
Nanoelectronics: Applications under Development
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| Transistors using carbon nanotubes |
Researchers are looking into the following nanoelectronics projects:
1. Building transistors from carbon nanotubes to enable minimum transistor dimensions of a few nanometers and developing techniques to manufacture integrated circuits built.
2. Transistors built in single atom thick graphene film to enable very high speed transistors.
3. Using carbon nanotubes to direct electrons to illuminate pixels, resulting in a lightweight, millimeter thick "nanoemmissive" display panel.
4. Making integrated circuits with features that can be measured in nanometers (nm), such as the process that allows the production of integrated circuits with 22 nm wide transistor gates.
5. Using nanosized magnetic rings to make Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) which research has indicated may allow memory density of 400 GB per square inch.
6. Developing molecular-sized transistors which may allow us to shrink the width of transistor gates to approximately one nm which will significantly increase transistor density in integrated circuits.
7. Using self-aligning nanostructures to manufacture nanoscale integrated circuits.
8. Using nanowires to build transistors without p-n junctions.
9. Using magnetic quantum dots in spintronic semiconductor devices. Spintronic devices are expected to be significantly higher density and lower power consumption because they measure the spin of electronics to determine a 1 or 0, rather than measuring groups of electronics as done in current semiconductor devices.
10. Using nanowires made of an alloy of iron and nickel to create dense memory devices. By applying a current magnetized sections along the length of the wire. As the magnetized sections move along the wire, the data is read by a stationary sensor. This method is called race track memory.
1. Building transistors from carbon nanotubes to enable minimum transistor dimensions of a few nanometers and developing techniques to manufacture integrated circuits built.
2. Transistors built in single atom thick graphene film to enable very high speed transistors.
3. Using carbon nanotubes to direct electrons to illuminate pixels, resulting in a lightweight, millimeter thick "nanoemmissive" display panel.
4. Making integrated circuits with features that can be measured in nanometers (nm), such as the process that allows the production of integrated circuits with 22 nm wide transistor gates.
5. Using nanosized magnetic rings to make Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) which research has indicated may allow memory density of 400 GB per square inch.
6. Developing molecular-sized transistors which may allow us to shrink the width of transistor gates to approximately one nm which will significantly increase transistor density in integrated circuits.
7. Using self-aligning nanostructures to manufacture nanoscale integrated circuits.
8. Using nanowires to build transistors without p-n junctions.
9. Using magnetic quantum dots in spintronic semiconductor devices. Spintronic devices are expected to be significantly higher density and lower power consumption because they measure the spin of electronics to determine a 1 or 0, rather than measuring groups of electronics as done in current semiconductor devices.
10. Using nanowires made of an alloy of iron and nickel to create dense memory devices. By applying a current magnetized sections along the length of the wire. As the magnetized sections move along the wire, the data is read by a stationary sensor. This method is called race track memory.
Nanoelectronics: Company Directory
Company
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Products or projects
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Everspin technologies
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Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM)
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HP
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Self Assembled Nano Structures
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IBM
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Nanophotonics
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Intel
|
Integrated circuit with nano sized features
|
California Molecular
Electronic Corp. |
Molecule sized switches and other devices
|
Unidym
|
Nanotube based transparent conductive film for use in
applications such as LCD displays and e-paper
|
OD vision
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Developing quantum dot based displays
|
Cosmetics
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| Diagram shows a micelle containing “nutriceuticals”. The hydrophilic (or water loving) head groups of the fatty acid are exposed to the water, the hydrophobic (or water hating) tail groups keep close together and in the interior of the micelle. |
Other cosmetics employ a more straightforward approach, for example suncreams. Zinc oxide has been used as a sunblock for several decades, however in its normal formulation it is a white paste (which is not very attractive!). By reducing the size of the zinc oxide particles to the nanoscale, the optical properties are changed (they are now transparent to visible light), however their other properties remain the same (they can still absorb and block UV light) and so an effective and attractive product is made.
Clothes
Nanotechnology can improve fabrics, making them harder wearing and more resistant to dirt, water, oils or other chemicals. Many of these developments are based on what happens in nature. For example the lotus leaf is covered in nanoscale waxy “bumps” which causes water to bead and be shed easily (pictured left). Fruits such as peaches are covered in tiny hairs which achieve the same effect. By incorporating such features in manufactured materials they too can be made water and stain repellent. 
Nanotechnology is also leading to the incorporation of other features in clothing. This includes electronics for regulating temperature and monitoring health, lighter impact resistant materials and even shape-changing and colour-changing abilities. Although initially being developed by the military these could be used by police and rescue workers, offering for example constant monitoring of vital signs and greater body protection.
Sports Equipment
Nanotechnology is being applied to many areas of sport. Tennis and golf are traditionally two of the main sports that embrace new technology, and their use of nanotechnology has further strengthened this claim. In the world of competitive sport even the most minimal changes in equipment can make all the difference between winning and losing.
Golf club manufacturer Wilson has invested heavily in nanotechnology in recent years, particularly nanometal coatings. The nanometals have a crystalline structure, and although they are hundreds of times smaller than traditional metals, they are four times stronger. Wilson are now making clubs which are lighter yet more powerful as a result of nanotechnology.
In tennis, Wilson are once again leading the way - they have started adding nanosize silicon dioxide crystals to their racquets, offering increased power but not at the expense of weight.
Carbon nanotubes have been used in sports equipment for a few years now, particularly by companies such as Yonex, makers of badminton racquets. These racquets are lighter, which allows for a more compact swing that still produces maximum power.
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