Nanoparticles and powders
The majority of all consumer products featuring
nanotechnology are related to the class of nanoparticles. They represent the simplest form of
nanotechnology that does not involve work progressing towards integrated
devices. The reason why they are in such
widespread use compared to other nanotechnology products right now is mainly due
to the fact that they're easy to make and robust in any environment. Nanopowders are a form of nanoparticles that
have found important uses in the field of chemistry.
Let's begin with nanoparticles. The definition of a nanoparticle is any object with a maximum
feature size of 100 nm. We don't care
about quantum effects in nanoparticles since they're not geared towards
electronics like quantum dots are.
Nanoparticles are typically some sort of polymer or metal that can act
as a coating for another material. The
most obvious example is the famous nano-pant that has a liquid-resistant
polymer nanoparticle layer. The durability
of the resistant layer is still being improved, but the pants are proven to be
highly water resistant.
Another proposed application is a sock that can absorb
odor. The proposed sock features
nanoparticles of gold that are embedded in the cloth. Gold is a great catalyst when it's in the form of a
nanoparticle. It can effectively break
down agents in your sweat that leave behind nasty foot odors. Of course, it won't cure your foot problems,
but the idea is simply to prevent your socks from smelling likewise.
These are relatively pedestrian examples of nanotechnology. They only represent the tip of the
iceberg. The true promise of
nanotechnology will ultimately lie in what we can produce for electronics and
medicine. However, coatings with
nanoparticles will likely find their way into your home without much
fanfare. As manufacturers perfect their
coating techniques, you can expect more products to become resistant to a
number of wear and odor issues.
In chemistry, nanopowders and nanoparticles are essential
ingredients for a variety of chemical reactions. The thing about catalysts is that they are often a limiting step
in a chemical reaction. Catalysts are
restricted in effectiveness by their surface area. Let's say you have a sphere with a specific spherical surface
area. Now take the same sphere and
break it down into many spheres. You've
instantly increased the surface area hundreds, if not thousands of times. This is the main idea behind creating
nano-sized particles for chemical reactions.
It's possible to speed up reactions to ridiculous speeds unheard of in
the field of chemistry with just a pinch of nanoparticle catalyst.
While nanoparticles are not the most advanced form of
nanotechnology, they serve their purpose well and will be an increasingly important
part of daily life.
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