Nanomaterials: An Introduction
Tarun Kumar Barik, Gopal Chandra Maity, Pallavi Gupta, L. Mohan,
and Tuhin Subhra Santra
Abstract Nanotechnology offers a significant advantage in science, engineering,
medicine, medical surgery, foods, packing, clothes, robotics, and computing from
the beginning of the twenty-first century. As the potential scientific discovery always
contains some good and bad effects on human civilization and the environment,
nanotechnology is not an exception. The major drawbacks include economic disruption along with imposing threats to security, privacy, health, and environment. The
introduction of the chapter discusses the historical background of nanotechnology.
Later it also discusses the advancement of nanotechnology to date with its benefits.
Major drawbacks of nanotechnology arise in human health due to the enormous
involvement in medicine, food, agriculture, etc. This chapter also deals with environmental nano pollution and its effect on society, highlighting the social-economic
disruption due to the rapid use of nanotechnology. Nano pollution affects not only
human beings but also other living beings like microorganisms, animals and plants,
which are briefly reviewed. This chapter also demonstrates the safety and security
of nanotechnological developments, current policy and regulation status, challenges,
and future trends. Finally, it is concluded, while nanotechnology offers more efficient
power sources, faster and modern computers and technologies, life-saving medical
treatments, but due to some negative impacts, it bounds us to think twice before any
further advanced technological applications.
T. K. Barik (B)
Department of Physics, Achhruram Memorial College, Jhalda, Purulia, West Bengal, India
e-mail: tarun.barik2003@gmail.com
G. C. Maity
Department of Chemistry, Abhedananda Mahavidyalaya, Sainthia,
Birbhum, India
P. Gupta · L. Mohan · T. S. Santra
Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology
Madras, Chennai, India
L. Mohan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Toyohashi University of
Technology, Toyohashi, Japan
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
T. S. Santra and L. Mohan (eds.), Nanomaterials and Their Biomedical Applications,
Springer Series in Biomaterials Science and Engineering 16,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6252-9_1
1
Tarun Kumar Barik, Gopal Chandra Maity, Pallavi Gupta, L. Mohan,
and Tuhin Subhra Santra
Abstract Nanotechnology offers a significant advantage in science, engineering,
medicine, medical surgery, foods, packing, clothes, robotics, and computing from
the beginning of the twenty-first century. As the potential scientific discovery always
contains some good and bad effects on human civilization and the environment,
nanotechnology is not an exception. The major drawbacks include economic disruption along with imposing threats to security, privacy, health, and environment. The
introduction of the chapter discusses the historical background of nanotechnology.
Later it also discusses the advancement of nanotechnology to date with its benefits.
Major drawbacks of nanotechnology arise in human health due to the enormous
involvement in medicine, food, agriculture, etc. This chapter also deals with environmental nano pollution and its effect on society, highlighting the social-economic
disruption due to the rapid use of nanotechnology. Nano pollution affects not only
human beings but also other living beings like microorganisms, animals and plants,
which are briefly reviewed. This chapter also demonstrates the safety and security
of nanotechnological developments, current policy and regulation status, challenges,
and future trends. Finally, it is concluded, while nanotechnology offers more efficient
power sources, faster and modern computers and technologies, life-saving medical
treatments, but due to some negative impacts, it bounds us to think twice before any
further advanced technological applications.
T. K. Barik (B)
Department of Physics, Achhruram Memorial College, Jhalda, Purulia, West Bengal, India
e-mail: tarun.barik2003@gmail.com
G. C. Maity
Department of Chemistry, Abhedananda Mahavidyalaya, Sainthia,
Birbhum, India
P. Gupta · L. Mohan · T. S. Santra
Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology
Madras, Chennai, India
L. Mohan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Toyohashi University of
Technology, Toyohashi, Japan
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
T. S. Santra and L. Mohan (eds.), Nanomaterials and Their Biomedical Applications,
Springer Series in Biomaterials Science and Engineering 16,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6252-9_1
1