Week 8 | Nanotech + Art | Blog Assignment

Nanotechnology discusses the type of science that manipulates atoms and molecules at the nanometer scale, allowing for the “design,...production and application of materials, structures, devices and systems” (Scenihr, 2006). A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, or ten times the diameter of a hydrogen atom. For such an extreme scale, "the ordinary rules of physics and chemistry no longer apply...materials' characteristics, such as their color, strength, conductivity and reactivity, can differ substantially between the nanoscale and macro" (Brahic & Shanahan, 2005).

Nanoscale comparison chart. 
(Size of the Nanoscale, 2022). 

Nanotechnology creates art using the scanning tunneling microscope to raster across a surface, which then creates an image. The rastering process creates a simple image, which then is converted into a gray scale that determines its color based on how low or high the tip was. From here, this image can be converted into a mesh contour map technologically, to add color to and create 3-D representations of atoms on the surfaces of materials (Dr. Gimzewski, Part 2, 10:24). The scanning tunneling microscope has been extremely helpful in understanding images of metal surfaces, providing “a three-dimensional profile of the surface which is very useful for characterizing surface roughness, observing surface defects, and determining the size and conformation of molecules and aggregates on the surface” (Gadzuk, 2022).

Metal surface that used the scanning tunneling microscope to
understand and view the atoms on the surface. 
(ArchimedesBerlin, N.d.).
Nanotechnology is extremely helpful in many fields with the ability to manipulate “the molecular structure of materials to change their intrinsic properties and obtain others with revolutionary applications” (Nanotechnology, 2022). Nanotechnology is applied everywhere in our lives without us realizing it. With the subject of electronics, nanotechnology is used to create electronic material lighter, smaller and faster such as microchips. To help with energy, nanotechnology has allowed us to create solar panels that “double the amount of sunlight converted into electricity” (Nanotechnology, 2022).  One of the most significant uses of nanotechnology is the ability to use it to attack cancer cells without harming other cells around them. There are endless examples of what nanotechnology can help us create, and it is enhancing our world every day! 
Nanotechnology allowing solar panels to be cheaper and 
more efficient. 
(Weaver, 2019). 

Works Cited

ArchimedesBerlin. N.d. Surface studies with a scanning tunneling microscope [english]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNEqRq6NyUw


Brahic, C., Shanahan, M. 2005. What is Nanotechnology and What Can It Do? AZO Nano. https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1134


Dr. Gimzewski. 2022. Nanotech for Artists Part 2 - Dr. Gimzewski. Desma 9. 


Gadzuk, B. 2022. Scanning Tunneling Microscope. NIST. https://www.nist.gov/pml/scanning-tunneling-microscope


Nanotechnology: a small solution to big problems. 2022. Iberdrola. https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/nanotechnology-applications


Scenihr. 2006. Nanotechnologies. European Commission Public Health: Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks. https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/en/nanotechnologies/l-3/1-introduction.htm


Size of the Nanoscale. 2022. National Nanotechnology Initiative. https://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/nano-size


Weaver, D. 2019. Using Nanotechnology to Make Solar Cells Cheaper and More Efficient. AZO Cleantech. https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=27



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