Image is courtesy of University of Miami.
What is Nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology deals with matter at the nanometer or atomic scale. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. At this scale, unique phenomena occur as scientists can manipulate individual atoms and molecules. The regular rules of physics and chemistry no longer apply. While it may seem similar to microscopy, nanotechnology is extremely different. According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative, “Nanotechnology is not simply working at ever smaller dimensions. Rather, working at the nanoscale enables scientists to utilize the unique physical, chemical, mechanical, and optical properties of materials that naturally occur at that scale.” This new and revolutionary form of science is being employed in fields including chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering.
How does it work?
Nanotechnology is possible since properties of materials are different at the nanoscale. This is due to nanomaterials having a larger surface area compared to the same mass of that material in a larger form. This causes materials to be more chemically reactive or affect properties such as strength, electrical conductivity, and even the melting point. As explained by HowStuffWorks, quantum mechanics play a large role in nanotechnology. Contrary to the regular rules of physics, the behaviour of substances at the nanoscale are more erratic and unexplainable. For example, substances that are typically insulators (cannot carry an electric charge) may be semiconductors at the nanoscale. Nanotechnology can be used to alter consumer products such as clothes or even have medical and environmental uses.
What are nanomaterials?
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, there is no precise definition for nanomaterials, but they are characterized by their tiny size. They exist in nature as by-products of combustion reactions but can be engineered from materials like carbon or silver. Most nanomaterials cannot be seen with the naked eye or even laboratory microscopes.
Types of nanomaterials (BioMed Central).
Environmental Uses of Nanotechnology
According to National Geographic, nanotechnology has the potential to bring affordable, energy-efficient products to underprivileged people. Currently, it is being used to develop alternate and clean energy sources such as solar and wind. One example includes using the technology to experiment with solar cells by reducing manufacturing costs through print-like development processes. Another example includes using carbon nanotubes to make wind turbine blades longer, stronger, and lighter. A carbon nanotube is a cylinder made from carbon atoms in the nanoscale. The properties of the nanotube differ depending on how they are rolled and how the individual atoms are aligned. If aligned correctly, the nanotubes can be a hundred times stronger than steel but six times lighter.
Another way that nanotechnology can be used is for oil spills. Nanoparticles have magnetic properties that can be used to isolate oil. When oil is mixed with water-resistant iron nanoparticles, it can be separated. One other method includes using a towel made from nanowires, which can absorb 20 times their weight. Nanowires are very small in diameter, but thousands and millions of times longer. MIT News indicates that they can exist in many forms including metals and organic compounds. Contrast to nanotubes, nanowires are solid crystalline fibres, as opposed to hollow tubes.
A carbon nanotube (Encyclopædia Britannica).
Nanotechnology and Agriculture
Agriculture is currently facing many issues like the effects of global climate change, growing population, and declining soil quality. According to the United Nations, approximately 840 million people will be affected by hunger by 2030. To combat food insecurity, scientists plan to combine smart agriculture with AI machine learning. Doing this will allow farmers to work in collaboration with scientists to respond to crop growth changes and pest and pathogen outbreaks.
Dr. Peng Zhang—a research fellow at the University of Birmingham—illustrated this in a paper published in Nature magazine. Co-author and professor Iseult Lynch says, “Precision agriculture using nanotechnology and artificial intelligence offers exciting opportunities for sustainable food production. We can link existing models for nutrient cycling and crop productivity with nano informatics approaches to help both crops and soil perform better—safely, sustainably and responsibly.” Precision agriculture is a method of farming that uses technological innovations to grow crops more efficiently, such as pesticides, soil sampling, GPS guidance, and even genetically modified crops. Tech Times explains that with nanotechnology and artificial intelligence, the best time to place and plant a crop can be determined in order to yield higher crop rates and ensure that no crop is wasted.
According to News Medical Life Sciences, the team has 4 steps to incorporate nanotechnology in agriculture. The first is understanding how nanomaterials react long-term in agricultural environments such as roots, leaves, and soil. The second is assessing how long-term cycles of nanomaterials will affect ecosystems, such as the repeated application of nanomaterials. The third step is to use existing data to predict how nanomaterials will behave in the environment. Lastly, the final step is to use AI and machine learning to identify the properties that will control the behaviour of nanomaterials in agricultural settings.
Issues in agriculture have resulted in poor global nutrient-use efficiency. The loss of these nutrients to water and air result in global warming. Almost 11% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to agriculture. Excessive fertilization of land also results in large amounts of nitrous oxide being found in the air. Nanofertilizers can combat this, reducing nitrous oxide emission and enhancing nutrient-use efficiency.
Effects of nanotechnology on agriculture (MDPI).
Article Author: Jennifer Law
Article Editors: Victoria Huang, Sherilyn Wen