The manipulation Of Atoms & Molecules At The Nanoscale

What the future of nanotechnology means for you

Overview Of The Production & Usage Of Nanostructures & Systems

Patrick OConnell

Published in

Reciprocal

5 min readMar 26, 2022

depiction of a molecule — Photo by Terry Vlisidis on Unsplash

Modern nanotechnology really began in 1981, when scanning tunneling microscopes enabled scientists and engineers to observe and manipulate individual atoms.

The scanning tunneling microscope (patented in 1982) not only allows the visualization of molecules, but also allows researchers to manipulate them by collecting and moving individual atoms. [Sources: 0, 6]

This is the essence of bottom-up or molecular nanotechnology: the idea that molecular structures can be built atom by atom. A Glimpse of Controlled Manufacturing at the Molecular Level with Self-Replicating Assemblers.

Some argue that nanotechnology can lead to the miniaturization of controlled manufacturing at the molecular level in much the same way it does in human cells, when, for example, enzymes break and reorganize bonds.

Nanotechnology research and development hopes lie in the creation and use of structures, devices and systems that have new properties and functions due to their size. [Sources: 0, 5]

How matter is transformed at the atomic level

In order to create such nanotechnology materials and products, scientists use special tools, instruments and computer systems to measure and manipulate nanoparticles in order to achieve a unique transformation of matter at the atomic level.

Although there may be decades before such small devices can be used (see MEMS), nanoscale technology has become an indispensable part of electronic engineering, and nanoengineered materials have begun to appear in consumer products.

Special powerful microscopes have been developed that enable scientists to observe and manipulate materials on the nanoscale.

The latest advances in microscopy are tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and holography, which allow us to observe nano-scale materials in 3D. [Sources: 1, 5, 8, 12]

Scanning tunneling microscopes enable scientists to view three-dimensional images of objects at the atomic level and manipulate nano-scale particles, small molecules, and atoms.

Scientists and engineers working at the nanoscale need special microscopes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) are very important in the research of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology researchers observe and modify the anatomical properties of various materials as small as 1 nanometer in size. [Sources: 6, 8, 13]

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are an ever-expanding field of research, including structures, devices, and systems that have new characteristics and functions due to the arrangement of atoms on the scale of 1–100 nm.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the ability to observe, measure, manipulate, collect, control, and produce substances on the nanoscale.

Nanotechnology is a technology at the nanoscale level in which materials, devices or systems are developed by manipulating matter at nanoscale lengths to stimulate the unique properties of a material at the nanotechnology level.

Spanning science, engineering and technology at the nanoscale, nanotechnology includes displaying, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at that length scale.

At the heart of nanotechnology is the ability to adapt the basic structures of materials at the nanoscale to achieve specific properties. [Sources: 1, 8, 10, 12]

With the continuous development of efforts in various fields of nanoscience and technology, many new materials, new characteristics and new applications will definitely be discovered.

Nano-scale science and technology can have a lasting impact on the biomedical field, such as treatment, diagnostic equipment, and biocompatible materials for implants and prostheses. [Sources: 2]

Hundreds of consumer products have benefited from nanotechnology. Scientists and engineers are using nanotechnology to improve clothing.

For example, nanoscale materials can provide encapsulation systems to protect and secrete the drugs they contain in a slow and controlled manner. [Sources: 0, 6]

Energy nanotechnology is used in a number of energy fields: to improve the efficiency and profitability of solar panels, create new types of batteries, improve the efficiency of fuel production using better catalysis, and create more advanced lighting systems. [Sources: 8, 13]

The Takeaway

In summary, these characteristics make nano-scale materials have a wide range of application value, and significantly improve the performance of various equipment and materials in many fields.

Due to its importance in science and industry, the study of the influence of size and shape on material properties has received great attention.

New and improved tools are needed to control the properties and structure of nanoscale materials; to understand this field, significant improvements in computer simulations of atomic and molecular structures are required.

In addition, this new process will allow the manufacture of highly integrated two-dimensional and three-dimensional devices and structures used to form various molecular and nanoscale components. [Sources: 1, 2, 4, 10]

I hope you have found my article to be helpful in answering your questions concerning the future of nanotechnology!

Please share your sentiments in the comments section. Thank you for reading! My thanks to Sahil Patel for publishing my article in his stellar Reciprocal publication!

The Sources List is at the very bottom of my blog post! Enjoy!

I would like to recognize the work of four incredible writers,

Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, Sahil Patel, Ilana Lydia, and Jessica Wildfire

whose writing is over the moon!

Please read their blog posts — they are consummate storytellers: