Microbial Nanobiotechnology: The Melting Pot …
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4 Nanotechnology: An Overview
Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary field and integrates science and technology
using materials at nanoform. It spots on the synthesis of materials at 1–100 nm scale
with application in agriculture, medical, pharmaceutical, environmental and other
various fields (Lateef et al. 2018; Elegbede and Lateef 2020; Lateef 2020). This
technology is growing day by day, and the researchers as scientists work hard daily
to introduce new concepts in this technology through either synthesis or applications. The emerging research materials are in the research stage and would be used
in nanometre scale devices. Development of characterization technology is needed
to understand the composition, structure, morphology and other requirements at
nanodimension. At the nanometre scale, the physical, chemical and biological properties of nanomaterials are fundamentally different from those of individual atoms,
molecules and bulk materials. They differ significantly from other materials due to
the increased surface area and quantum effects. A larger surface area usually results
in more reactive chemical properties and also affects the mechanical or electrical
properties of the materials (Thassu et al. 2007).
Molecular nanotechnology, also called molecular manufacturing, describes engineered nanosystems or machines based on molecular scale. It is associated with
molecular assembler: a machine that can produce a wanted structure or device atom
by atom using the principles of mechanosynthesis. The premise was that molecular
scale biological analogies of traditional machine components demonstrated molecular machines were possible. By the countless examples found in biology, it is known
that sophisticated, stochastically optimized biological machines can be produced.
It is hoped that developments in nanotechnology will make possible their construction by some other means, maybe using biomimetic principles. However, Drexler
and other researchers (Phoenix 2005) have proposed that advanced nanotechnology,
although initially implemented by biomimetic incomes, eventually could be based
on mechanical engineering principles, namely a manufacturing technology based on
the mechanical functionality of these components (like gears, motors, bearings and
structural members) that could enable programmable, positional assembly to atomic
specification. In general, it is very difficult to assemble devices on the atomic scale, as
one has to position atoms on other atoms of comparable size and stickiness. Another
view, put forth by Carlo Montemagno, is that future nanosystems will be hybrids of
silicon technology and biological molecular machines. Richard Smalley argued that
mechanosynthesis is impossible due to the difficulties in mechanically manipulating
individual molecules (Belkin et al. 2015).
5
4 Nanotechnology: An Overview
Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary field and integrates science and technology
using materials at nanoform. It spots on the synthesis of materials at 1–100 nm scale
with application in agriculture, medical, pharmaceutical, environmental and other
various fields (Lateef et al. 2018; Elegbede and Lateef 2020; Lateef 2020). This
technology is growing day by day, and the researchers as scientists work hard daily
to introduce new concepts in this technology through either synthesis or applications. The emerging research materials are in the research stage and would be used
in nanometre scale devices. Development of characterization technology is needed
to understand the composition, structure, morphology and other requirements at
nanodimension. At the nanometre scale, the physical, chemical and biological properties of nanomaterials are fundamentally different from those of individual atoms,
molecules and bulk materials. They differ significantly from other materials due to
the increased surface area and quantum effects. A larger surface area usually results
in more reactive chemical properties and also affects the mechanical or electrical
properties of the materials (Thassu et al. 2007).
Molecular nanotechnology, also called molecular manufacturing, describes engineered nanosystems or machines based on molecular scale. It is associated with
molecular assembler: a machine that can produce a wanted structure or device atom
by atom using the principles of mechanosynthesis. The premise was that molecular
scale biological analogies of traditional machine components demonstrated molecular machines were possible. By the countless examples found in biology, it is known
that sophisticated, stochastically optimized biological machines can be produced.
It is hoped that developments in nanotechnology will make possible their construction by some other means, maybe using biomimetic principles. However, Drexler
and other researchers (Phoenix 2005) have proposed that advanced nanotechnology,
although initially implemented by biomimetic incomes, eventually could be based
on mechanical engineering principles, namely a manufacturing technology based on
the mechanical functionality of these components (like gears, motors, bearings and
structural members) that could enable programmable, positional assembly to atomic
specification. In general, it is very difficult to assemble devices on the atomic scale, as
one has to position atoms on other atoms of comparable size and stickiness. Another
view, put forth by Carlo Montemagno, is that future nanosystems will be hybrids of
silicon technology and biological molecular machines. Richard Smalley argued that
mechanosynthesis is impossible due to the difficulties in mechanically manipulating
individual molecules (Belkin et al. 2015).