Definition of nanoscience and nanotechnology

 

Definition of Nanoscience

Study on the processing of substances at the nanoscale that is between 1 nanometre and 100 nanometres

 

Definition of Nanotechnology

Development of substances or gadgets using the properties of nanoparticles

 

Size comparison between different materials

 

Application of nanotechnology in the daily life

Field	Explanation
Semiconductor and electronic	•   Smaller and more efficient semiconductors •   High conductivity wiring system
Energy and electricity	•   Smaller and more efficient solar cells •   Long-lasting batteries
Textile	•   Water, fire and dirt resistant fabrics •   Ani-wrinkle and UV protective fabrics
Medical	•   Highly sensitive testing devices •   More effective drug delivery system
Agriculture	•   More effective pesticides •   Highly efficient and thorough fertilisation
Food	•   Nanoscale food additives •   Anti-microbial food packaging

Graphene

• Graphene is one of the allotropes for carbon besides diamond and graphite.
• Yet they have very different properties from each other
• The 0.1 mm size of graphene makes graphene one of the important materials in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
• Graphene sheets can produce a variety of other materials including
  • graphite
  • carbon nanotubes
  • fullerene balls

 

Physical properties of graphene

• Strong and hard
• Transparent
• Good conductor of heat and electricity
• Elastic
• Impermeable
• Very low electrical resistance

 

Chemical properties of graphene

• Graphene sheets burn at a lower temperature than graphite
• The most reactive carbon allotropes
• The chemical reaction of graphene is still being studied by researchers

 

Uses of graphene

Category	Explanation
Electronics	The arrangement of atoms in graphene makes it a superior conductor
Censors	Graphene has a high surface area
Biomedical	Sensors, tissue engineering, drug delivery systems
Polymers and composite	The high mechanical strength makes graphene suitable as a polymer composite material
Membrane	Water filtration. Separation of water from gas mixtures
Energy	Longer lasting, flexible and powerful battery Supercapacitor