STS 10

• Nanotechnology


  The branch of technology that deals with the manipulation and study of matter at the nanoscale
• Nanotechnology


  • It covers all types of research and technologies that deal with the special properties of matter on an atomic molecular and supramolecular scale
  • It brings together various fields of science through its innovations, e.g., DNA silicon chips, converging between semiconductor science (inorganic chemistry) and biology, with applications in the medical industry
  • It involves design, characterization, production, and application of structures, devices, and systems by controlling shapes and sizes at the nanometer scale
  • It provides the platform and the tools to produce innovations
• Dimensions of nanotechnology


  • Tangible objects which include materials, devices, and systems
  • Passive and static objects i.e., nanoparticles that have properties different bulk objects, even if they have the same composition; the active devices, i.e., those that can store information, induce energy, or change their state; and the nanofacture, which refers to atomically precise manufacturing (APM), i.e., collection of instruments and procedures
  • Direct nanotechnology which refers to materials structured at nanoscale components; Indirect nanotechnology, which starts with nanoparticles but can be used in huge applications i.e., hugely powerful information processors with individual nanoscale components
• Applications of nanotechnology


  • Medicine: More effective drugs, nanobots, disease diagnosis
  • Water purification: Nanomaterials and new membrane technologies
  • Surfaces: Heat-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces, water-repellent surfaces
  • Agriculture: Crop breeding, pest detection, food processing
  • Environmental remediation: Arsenic removal, chlorinated compound reduction
  • Energy: Cleaner production, renewable energy, chemical reactions
• In the Philippines, nanotechnology can be applied in making sources of renewable energy accessible to many, developing medicine that would address serious diseases, improving the state of agriculture, and more
• There are existing and ongoing research studies funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on the possible application of technology, as well as on Nano-Metrology and Education and Public Awareness
• Challenges of nanotechnology


  • Environmental effects of mineral-based nanoparticles
  • Potential harmful impacts of carbon nanotubes on human health
  • Difficulty in characterizing and detecting nanoparticles
  • Difficulty in predicting toxicity of nanomaterials
  • Expensive risk assessment due to difficulty in detecting nanoparticles
• With the identified potential hazards that nanoparticles can bring to human health and the environment

  Should people disregard the benefits that nanotechnology provide them?
• Issues raised regarding nanotechnology should be further studied, and nanotechnology methods should be modified
• Experts and governments should support themselves with enough knowledge on how nanomaterials work for the benefit of the society