The fact that particles comparable to human hair strands can resolve many existing issues is still unbelievable to many. However, acknowledging Nanotechnology’s exceptional characteristics can save years of struggles. The past has witnessed some innovative breakthroughs in the Nanotechnology industry. From medicine to Energy, it has its applications in all the major fields. Let’s look at the 9 innovations in Nanotechnology.
- Sustainable Energy
Nanomaterials are substantially used in photovoltaics. For example, it has been witnessed that nanomaterials reduced the cost and production of PV solar cells. Still, the best part is they have immensely increased their efficiency. Besides photovoltaics, fuel cells utilize nanotechnology for hydrogen production, storage, transformation into electricity, and nanostructured materials for higher hydrogen adsorption capacity.
- Fighting climate change
Climate change is the constant pandemic the world has been facing for decades. Its impact is powerful that the world as a whole is facing heat waves right now. The industries have to set up their power plants in cities where they emit carbon which gets mixed up in the atmosphere and becomes hazardous to the environment. Using Nanotechnology to slow down climate change can be proved to be a most spectacular nanotechnology application. Researchers are working on nanosponges that can catch carbon from the power plants before entering the atmosphere. In initial experiments, it was found that a hybrid membrane containing polymers with nano-sized cages is eight times more carbon-dioxide porous than membranes with polymers alone.
- Nutrition
It has been found that deficiency of micronutrients can cause some serious socioeconomic problems. Many studies highlight the importance of Nanotechnology in encapsulating essential nutrients at the nanoscale. Molecules that are encapsulated include proteins, zinc, calcium, etc., for better absorption, digestion, and cell update.
- Water purification membranes
Access to clean water for drinking or doing other chores has become a challenge for many regions worldwide. The use of nanotechnology in purifying water can prove to be a boon for the entire world. Water purification membranes include developing a molecular-level design approach for preparing thin and defect-free layers on microporous supports. In addition, the fouling resistance of nanoporous membranes can be increased by micrografting fouling-resistant polymers like zwitterionic polymers or polyethylene oxide (PEO).
- Improved targeted drug delivery.
Despite being a potential approach, targeted drug delivery cannot be utilized fully because of the lack of effective carriers that can improve the stability and selectivity of a drug. Thus, scientists have developed customizable nanocarriers with structure-based design and systematic optimization to resolve the issue. The technology provides multiple chemical formulations of biocompatible nanoparticles, which enable effective drug delivery. These nanoparticles consist of polyethylene glycol, amino acids, and natural compounds.
- Coatings of aircrafts
Corrosion-free aluminum can be developed with Nanotechnology and can be used for fabricating an aircraft’s body. It was found that aluminium with the coating of nanocomposites and urethane top coating provided extreme resistance towards corrosion in the salt-soakings test. Hence, similar coatings can be used for processing aircraft skin. These coatings are proven to be making an aircraft last longer, which ultimately reduces the costs and increases the aircraft’s life.
- Nanotubes that assemble themselves
Nanotechnology is a wonder on its own. The more we explore the field, the more it amazes us. For example, there is a family of polymers that, when put in water, assemble themselves into hollow crystalline nanotubes. Such nanotubes can be easily manipulated so that all of them have a diameter between five and ten nanometers. By controlling the diameter of nanotubes and their chemical groups, scientists can control what goes through them.
- Moving data at light’s speed
Thanks to the researchers working to innovate and develop, we can witness the new aspect of the Nanotechnology field daily. Researchers have developed a new approach to producing nanoscale wires that act as tunable lasers. Their exceptional properties can become beneficial for the optoelectronics field. Optoelectronics is focused on using the combination of electronics and light to transmit data. Further, these tunable lasers can bring light-speed data transmission to the desktop.
- DIY paint-on coating
Researchers are working on polymer-based nanomaterial coatings that can reflect heat off the windows. This DIY technique of Nanotechnology can increase energy efficiency and keep them cool. In addition, its ability to get applied at a one-tenth cost of current retrofit techniques makes it more attractive.
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