FEATURE: Nanomaterials

FEATURE

1. What is the benefit of using nanomaterials?

Nanomaterials have distinct advantages over millimetre or micrometer grade materials. They can be placed inside materials without physical deformation. They can be spun and woven or grafted or created in transparent optically invisible webbings, needles, surfaces (e.g for microelectronic applications) and textured goods.

They possess particular “tunable” properties related to quantum field effects and the atomic world, which they inhabit. For example, these can include or incorporate light emission and light absorbance. Use? Well in light sensitive coatings that show evidence for example of irradiation! Or in the area of biomedical diagnostics as miniature light emitters (diodes) lasers and fluorescent materials that can be used in packaging. Smaller means more efficacious, drugs and smart devices pass biological membranes more easily and regularly when of the dimensions of the materials customarily contained within e.g. ribosome’s, enzymes (2-10 nm).

Structured foods creams, dispersions and foams work and are more stable when there components are small and nano-sized. Chemical kinetics mean process are more efficient when many more unit “smaller” entities are represented the sample mass.

2. What factors do you envisage that will allow for the transition from concept to product for smart materials enabled by nanotechnology?

Publicity, use, cost reduction. Proven superiority of applicability. Resilience and robustness of platform technology are an absolute must. The “brain draw” provides us with one answer – IF more people take an interest this will propagate renewed and further interest!

The existing micro-technology is falling short of “customer” and scientists expectations, this requires current over-formulation and over-testing – something like “reinventing the wheel” and this means wasting money. The 3-5 year timescale is a combination of wishful thinking and eager anticipation promised by the plethora of scientific reports and media coverage.

Dr Dipak K Sarker
School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences

The University of Brighton