Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension size measuring between 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing the properties of matter. This definition of nanotechnology includes all types of research and technologies that deal with these distinctive properties. The plural form “nanotechnologies” is also commonly used, as is the term “nanoscale technologies,” to refer to research and applications whose defining characteristic is their scale. An earlier understanding of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal of precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for the fabrication of macroscale products, now referred to as molecular nanotechnology. A near-synonym of "nanotechnology" is nanoscience (i.e., nanophysics, nanochemistry, nanobiology and nanoinformatics); however, the term "nanoscience" emphasizes the pure science aspects of the field, whilst nanotechnology along with its specific methods and processes (e.g., nanolithography and nanobiosensing) are the concrete output of applied nanosciences (e.g., nanoengineering and nanomedicine). Nanotechnology defined by scale includes fields of science such as surface science, organic chemistry, molecular biology, semiconductor physics, energy storage, engineering, microfabrication, and molecular engineering. The associated research and applications range from extensions of conventional device physics to molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to direct control of matter on the atomic scale. Nanotechnology may be able to create new materials and devices with diverse applications, including nanomedicine, nanoelectronics, agricultural sectors, biomaterials energy production, and consumer products. However, nanotechnology also raises concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted.