Nanotechnology is a subfield of applied science whose theme is the control of matter on the atomic and molecular levels (usually 100 nanometers and smaller) and producing devices within that size range.
HISTORY OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
Nanotechnology (not the term) and it’s concepts were first mentioned in a talk called „There’s plenty of room at the bottom“ by Richard Feynman on December 29, 1959. Mr. Feynman described a process that might result in developing individual atoms and molecules, using sets of precise tools to operate another proportionally smaller set and so on to the needed scale.
The term „nanotechnology“ was defined by Professor Norio Taniguchi of Tokyo Science University in 1974. Afterwards, it was explored in much more depth by Dr. K. Eric Dexler who promoted the significance of nanotechnology in his books and papers.
NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
Nanobiotechnology is a subfiled of nanotechnology with biological or biochemical applications.
NANOMETER
One nanometer (nm) is 10-9 of a meter. To put it in context, a nanometer is the amount of a man’s beard grows in the time it takes him to raise his razor to his face.
MOLECULAR NANOTECHNOLOGY
Molecular nanotechnology is the concept of engineered nanomachines operating on the molecular scale. It is also called molecular manufacturing. It is associated with the molecular assembler – a machine that can produce a structure atom-by-atom using the principles of mechanosyntesis.
APPROACHES
DNA nanotechnology – constructing well-defined structures out of DNA and other nuclear acids
Supramolecular chemistry and molecular recognition are used to cause single-molecule elements transform themselves into some useful conformation.
