1. What is it?3. Where does it come from? 2. Why do we use it? 4. How does it work? 6. How does it change us? 5. How does it change? 7. How do we change it? 8. What are its costs & benefits? 9. How do we evaluate it? 0. Introduction You are here

DNA ~2-1/2 nm diameter Things Natural Things Manmade Fly ash ~  m Atoms of silicon spacing ~tenths of nm Head of a pin 1-2 mm Quantum corral of 48 iron atoms on copper surface positioned one at a time with an STM tip Corral diameter 14 nm Human hair ~  m wide Red blood cells with white cell ~ 2-5  m Ant ~ 5 mm Dust mite 200  m ATP synthase ~10 nm diameter Nanotube electrode Carbon nanotube ~1.3 nm diameter The Challenge Fabricate and combine nanoscale building blocks to make useful devices, e.g., a photosynthetic reaction center with integral semiconductor storage. Microworl d 0.1 nm 1 nanometer (nm) 0.01  m 10 nm 0.1  m 100 nm 1 micrometer (  m) 0.01 mm 10  m 0.1 mm 100  m 1 millimeter (mm) 1 cm 10 mm m m m m m m m m m Visible Nanoworl d 1,000 nanometers = Infrared Ultraviolet Microwave Soft x-ray 1,000,000 nanometers = Zone plate x-ray “lens” Outer ring spacing ~35 nm Office of Basic Energy Sciences Office of Science, U.S. DOE Version , pmd The Scale of Things – Nanometers and More MicroElectroMechanical (MEMS) devices  m wide Red blood cells Pollen grain Carbon buckyball ~1 nm diameter Self-assembled, Nature-inspired structure Many 10s of nm

4 stages of response to any new & revolutionary development: (1) It’s crazy! (2) It may be possible—so what? (3) I said it was a good idea all along. (4) I thought of it first. – Arthur C. Clarke

What is nanotechnology? Nanopowders and nanomaterials (pants, sunscreen) Molecular precision (solar cells, light emitting diodes) Nanoscale machines (none yet) Matter compilers (read Diamond Age) Self-replicating robots (read Prey)

Nanopowders & nanomaterials Maya Blue Grain size = 1 ~ 100 nm (usually in all 3 dimensions) Surface area matters: nano-particle gold is red, not yellow Applications: paint, insulation, magnets, video displays Used > millennium, but understood < 50 years Terminal velocity: 1 m sphere of water = 738 mph 0.1 mm sphere of water = 0.6 mph

Molecular precision Placing individual molecules (or even atoms) where we want them. Placing an atom where you want it is very slow (e.g. STM to place xenon atoms, A pound of carbon has 2.3 x atoms) Encouraging atoms can be done on a mass scale

Nanoscale machines

Matter compilers Theoretical and some say impossible Living cells are special case proof of concept

Self-replicating robots “Nanobots” theoretical, may be impossible Powerful and may not be controllable Use “telomeres” to prevent “cancer”?

More than You See Nanobot Wireless network Software Environmental regulations Techniques for use Intellectual property law Maintenance infrastructure Energy sources Liability agreements

Valuable Information Consumer products: ¢ Matter compilers: $ Design information: $$$$