Nanotechnology in our life. Presentation on the topic "nanotechnology in our lives" Examples of the use of nanotechnology in real life

Thanks to innovative technologies, mankind has the opportunity to study the world around us at a “smaller” level. Nanotechnology is used in various fields of activity. Microscopic particles, or as they are now called nanoparticles, can be synthesized from a variety of materials. The sizes of these particles do not exceed 100 nm.

Humanity has been using the unique possibilities of the nanoworld since ancient times. For example, the historical masterpiece of the Lycurgus Cup was created by ancient Roman masters. The unique structure of the glass goblet surprises even modern craftsmen. If the goblet is illuminated from the outside, it will be green, and if it is illuminated from the inside, it will be orange-red. What is the reason? The thing is that nanoparticles of noble metals (silver and gold) are interspersed in the glass structure.

Nanoparticles and medicine

The first nanoparticle was described by A. Einstein back in 1905. He proved that the sucrose molecule has a size of about 1 nm. Nanoparticles easily overcome cell membranes, so they are able to penetrate anywhere in our body. This unique property is used in practical medicine for the diagnosis of various diseases.

For example, nanoparticles are used to diagnose cancer, microparticles are attached to cancer cells, and their increased concentration can determine the localization of carcinogenic cells in the body. Nanotechnology makes it possible to deliver medicines to a precisely defined place. With the help of nanoparticles, it is possible to accelerate the process of wound healing and inhibit the growth of tumors.

As you can see, our life is closely connected with these microscopic particles. It has been proven that nanoparticles can act as catalysts and adsorbents. Already today, nanotechnologies are being used to create ultra-thin and ultra-strong protective coatings. Nevertheless, most scientific researchers are of the opinion that the effect of nanoparticles on the human body is still poorly understood, so it is too early to celebrate any success and beat the timpani.

Nanoparticles and their research

The basis for studying all the possibilities of the above presented material is a qualitative laboratory equipment Horiba (particle size analyzers). Currently, all nanoparticles can be classified according to several indicators:

According to the base substance;

By origin (natural, artificial);

By type of multidimensionality.

Modern laboratory equipment from Noriba makes it possible to determine all the properties of nanoparticles. Our company presents to your attention the following models of laser analyzers of the well-known company Horiba - SZ-100V2, LA-960V2 and LA-300. So, the SZ-100 laser analyzer is used to study microparticles ranging in size from 0.3 nm to 8 μm, ζ-potential and molecular weight. The measurement principle is based on photo-correlation spectroscopy. The LA-950 laser analyzer is a unique machine that can operate at high speed. With the help of this equipment, it is possible to conduct research using a circular system in a liquid medium. The laser analyzer LA-300 is equipped with an automatic pump and can work with laser diffraction.

RVS LLC is a permanent partner of the Noriba brand. The company's specialists regularly undergo advanced training. If necessary, they will competently advise you, help you decide on the model of the laser analyzer. We sell only quality products.

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Introductory speech of the presenter

1. What is nanotechnology? (Study 1)

Nanotechnologies are ways to create new materials, it is an opportunity to control them and produce unique products that will have completely new properties.

Nanotechnology - a set of processes that allow you to create materials, devices and technical systems, the functioning of which is determined by the nanostructure, i.e. its ordered fragments ranging in size from 1 to 100 nm (10 -9 m; atoms, molecules). The Greek word "nanos" roughly means "dwarf". When the particle size decreases to 100-10 nm or less, the properties of materials (mechanical, catalytic, etc.) change significantly.

In connection with this definition, a natural question arises: how can one manipulate matter at the level of atoms and molecules? Let's try to understand this, as well as reveal the essence of nanoscience, consider the history of its development, highlight the objects of its study, research methods, and, most interestingly, understand how a person realizes the huge potential of nanoscience in everyday life.

2. History of development of nanotechnology. (Study 2)

The field of science and technology called nanotechnology, the corresponding terminology, appeared relatively recently (Attachment 1)

3. Nanotechnologies in medicine. (Soc. 3)

In medicine, the problem of using nanotechnologies lies in the need to change the structure of the cell at the molecular level, i.e. to carry out "molecular surgery" with the help of nanobots. Nanobots are robotic doctors that find the affected cell themselves and can repair its damage.

One of the main directions in nanomedicine is nanovaccines and targeted drug delivery, the essence of which is that a special capsule delivers drug molecules directly to the affected tissue. This technique increases the effectiveness of the drug tenfold. In addition, many drugs are very expensive, and the nanodelivery mechanism makes it possible to reduce the required volumes of a substance by hundreds of times, making the final drug cheaper. But the main advantage of drugs in nanocapsules is the absence of negative side effects, since the drug does not interact “along the way” with other tissues and body substances. (Annex 2)

4. Nanotechnologies in biology. (Soc. 4)

Modern biology has come close to solving such a grandiose task as deciphering the sequence of DNA chains. (Annex 3) . Biological nanotechnologies-biochips. A chip is a small plate on the surface of which there are receptors for various substances - proteins, toxins, amino acids. They can instantly detect causative agents of tuberculosis, HIV, especially dangerous infections, many poisons, antibodies to cancer, etc. Nanobiotechnology combines the achievements of nanotechnology and molecular biology. Molecular biologists help nanotechnologists learn to understand and use nanostructures and nanomechanisms created by a 4 billion year evolutionary process - cellular structures and biological molecules. Using the special properties of biological molecules and cellular processes helps biotechnologists achieve goals that other methods are powerless to achieve.

Nanotechnologists also take advantage of the ability of biomolecules to self-assemble into nanostructures. So, for example, lipids are able to spontaneously combine and form liquid crystals.

5. Nanotechnology in cosmetics. (Study 5)

With the help of nanotechnology, you can really look 15-20 years younger. Their essence lies in the fact that nanospheres are included in the composition of cosmetics, which have the ability to penetrate into the deep subcutaneous layer. Active components are enclosed in these peculiar microspheres. With the help of nanotechnology, wrinkles, pimples, blackheads, scars, etc. are smoothed out.

In order to qualitatively improve the condition of the skin, remove deep wrinkles, achieve effective skin hydration, restore beauty and freshness to mature skin, it is necessary to improve the delivery of nutrients to the deep layers of the skin. In order to penetrate deep into the skin, active substances “use detours” - intercellular spaces and excretory ducts of the skin glands. Passing through intercellular spaces is not so easy. This became possible only thanks to high bio- and nanotechnologies.

One of the solutions to this problem was the creation of artificial containers that are able to penetrate the skin to a deeper level due to their small size. This is done thanks to liposomes - transport molecules that can carry drugs into the deeper layers of the skin.

Further, with the development of biotechnology, it became possible to use even smaller transport particles - nanosomes, which could be “stuffed” with various biological substances. This was the beginning of nanocosmetics. However, nanosomes are a vehicle for the delivery of only one biologically active substance. (Annex 4)

6. The use of nanotechnology in the food industry. (Pitch 6)

Research on the use of nanotechnology in the food industry is now beginning, and a term has even been introduced for products of this production: “nanofood”. This term does not mean that portions will now be nanosized. It means that the technology will use inclusions of nanoparticles that can help solve many real problems of a modern farmer, as well as serve as the appearance of absolutely fantastic goods. . Nanotechnology can also provide food processors with unique opportunities to control the quality and safety of products during production. We are talking about diagnostics using various nanosensors that can quickly and reliably detect the presence of contaminants or unfavorable agents in products. Another unplowed field of nanotechnology is the development of methods for transporting and storing products, because packaging is no less important factor in modern food products than its content.

Among the more distant prospects for the use of nanotechnology, projects for the manufacture of unified interactive drinks and food are announced: by buying such products, the consumer, with the help of simple manipulations, will be able to change the color, smell and even taste of the product.

7. NT in the automotive industry. (Uch.7). (Annex 5)

8. Nanotechnologies in agriculture. (Pitch 8)

Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture. Molecular robots will be able to produce food, replacing agricultural plants and animals. For example, it is theoretically possible to produce milk directly from grass, bypassing the intermediate link - a cow. Such "agriculture" will not depend on weather conditions and will not require heavy physical labor. And its productivity will be enough to solve the food problem once and for all. However, so far the transition from laboratory production to mass production is fraught with significant problems, and reliable processing of materials at the nanoscale in the required manner is still very difficult to implement from an economic point of view. (Annex 6)

9. Nanotechnologies in ecology. (Study 9).

Nanotechnologies can also stabilize the ecological situation. Firstly, due to saturation with molecular orderly robots that turn human waste into raw materials, and secondly, due to the transfer of industry and agriculture to waste-free nanotechnological methods. For example, in the future, nanomaterials will significantly reduce the cost of automotive catalytic converters that clean exhaust from harmful impurities, since they can be used to reduce the consumption of platinum and other valuable metals used in these devices by 15-20 times.

In ecology, promising areas are the use of filters and membranes based on nanomaterials for water and air purification, seawater desalination, as well as the use of various sensors for rapid biochemical determination of chemical and biological effects, the synthesis of new environmentally friendly materials, biocompatible and biodegradable polymers, and the creation of new waste disposal and recycling methods. In addition, the prospect of using nanopreparative forms based on bacteriorhodopsin is of great importance. Studies conducted with natural soil samples affected by radiation and chemical damage (including Chernobyl soils) showed the possibility of restoring them with the help of developed preparations to the natural state of microflora and fruitfulness in 2.5-3 months in case of radiation damage and in 5-6 months with chemicals. (Annex 7)

10. Nanotechnologies in energy. (Pitch 10)

The strategic objective is to develop high-capacity batteries that will enable electric vehicles to run for long distances, as well as be able to guarantee more economical operation of renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines by storing excess energy. (Annex 8)

11. NT in construction. (Pitch 11)

In cybernetics, there will be a transition to volumetric microcircuits, and the size of active elements will decrease to the size of molecules. The operating frequencies of computers will reach terahertz values. Schematic solutions based on neuron-like elements will become widespread. A long-term high-speed memory based on protein molecules will appear, the capacity of which will be measured in terabytes. It will be possible to “resettle” human intelligence into a computer.

Due to the introduction of logical nanoelements into all the attributes of the environment, it will become “reasonable” and extremely comfortable for humans. All this, according to various estimates, will take about 100 years. (Annex 10).

13. Nanotechnologies in criminalistics. (Pitch 13).

Nanotechnology finds its application in the study of fingerprints. To contrast oily fingerprints, a suspension of gold nanoparticles with hydrophobic properties was used; capable of adhering to surfaces covered with grease. Achievements of modern nanotechnology will now make it possible to quickly and accurately obtain fingerprints from crime scenes. A modern way to obtain forensic samples from fuzzy fingerprints is to treat the surface under study with an aqueous suspension of gold stabilized by citrate anions. In an acidic environment, gold particles are attached to positively charged fragments of the molecule at the site of the fingerprint. The resulting image is treated with a silver salt solution, whereby the silver is restored, leaving dark metal marks on the characteristic grooves of the fingerprint. However, the gold solution is unstable, making it difficult to reproduce the assay from test to test. Nanotechnology will allow you to quickly and accurately obtain even fuzzy fingerprints. Now Daniel Mandler and Joseph Almog of the University of Jerusalem are proposing a new approach. They replaced the traditionally used colloidal gold solution with a more stable equivalent. The gold nanoparticles proposed as a solution by Israeli scientists are stabilized with long chain hydrocarbon radicals and suspended in petroleum ether. These particles interact with fingerprint fat fragments through hydrophobic interactions and can also be treated with silver, producing high quality prints in as little as three minutes of processing.

14. Nanotechnologies in space. Information and military technologies. (Pitch 14)

A revolution is raging in space. Satellites with nanodevices up to 20 kilograms began to be created. A system of microsatellites has been created. It is less vulnerable to attempts to destroy it. It is one thing to shoot down a colossus in orbit weighing several hundred kilograms, or even tons, immediately putting out of action all space communications or intelligence, and another when there is a whole swarm of microsatellites in orbit. The failure of one of them in this case will not disrupt the operation of the system as a whole. Accordingly, the requirements for the reliability of the operation of each satellite can be reduced. Young scientists believe that among the key problems of microminiaturization of satellites is the creation of new technologies in the field of optics, communication systems, methods of transmitting, receiving and processing large amounts of information. We are talking about nanotechnologies and nanomaterials, which make it possible to reduce the mass and dimensions of devices launched into space by two orders of magnitude. For example, the strength of nanonickel is 6 times higher than it makes it possible to reduce the mass of the nozzle by 20-30% when using it in rocket engines. Reducing the mass of space technology solves many problems: it prolongs the spacecraft's stay in space, allows it to fly farther and carry more of any useful equipment for research. At the same time, the problem of energy supply is being solved. Miniature devices will soon be used to study many phenomena, for example, the impact of solar rays on processes on the Earth and in near-Earth space. (Annex 11)

Conclusion

Nanotechnology is a symbol of the future, the most important industry, without which the further development of civilization is unthinkable.

The possibilities of using nanotechnology are almost inexhaustible - from microscopic computers that kill cancer cells to car engines that do not pollute the environment.

Nanotechnology today is in its infancy, fraught with great potential.

Great prospects bring great dangers. In this regard, a person should treat the unprecedented possibilities of nanotechnologies with the utmost caution, directing his research to peaceful purposes. Otherwise, he may endanger his own existence. It is even worse if these technologies fall into dirty hands. History shows how the best scientific achievements can be used to destroy each other. Those who share these concerns have become known as "nano-apocalyptics". Nanoapocalyptics talk persistently about the inevitability of wars, which can be waged by the disassembler nanorobots themselves, destroying everything in their path and multiplying in this destruction. It is possible that these nanorobots may have their own interests, which will have nothing to do with the interests of man. Therefore, the tasks of creating protective equipment for the destruction of out-of-control nanorobots in the manner of fighting viruses and bacteria, which are essentially living analogues of nanorobots, are already being seriously considered and set.

In a word, the nanoworld awaits us, about which we still know very little. We know almost nothing. But let's hope that both scientists and governments around the world will find enough strength and means to direct the achievements of nanotechnologies to good deeds without going beyond the bounds of prudence.

References

Nanotechnology in the next decade / Ed. M.K. Roco, R.S. Williams, P. Alivisatos. M., 2002.
Golovin Yu.I. Introduction to nanotechnology. M., 2003.
Dyachkov P.N. Carbon nanotubes. Materials for computers of the XXI century //Nature. 2000. No. 11. S.23-30.
Internet resources.

http://korrespondent.ru

http://ria.ru/science/20081203/156376525.html#ixzz2orCoTJVk

Nanotechnologies are very actively entering the field of scientific research, and from it - into our daily life. Artificially created nano-objects constantly surprise researchers with their properties and promise the most unexpected prospects for their application. And nanoproducts have a strong influence on the physical and spiritual state of a person.

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Nanotechnology in our life
Developments in the field of nanotechnology are used in almost any industry: in medicine, mechanical engineering, gerontology, industry, agriculture, biology, cybernetics, electronics, and ecology. With the help of nanotechnologies, it is possible to explore space, refine oil, defeat many viruses, create robots, protect nature, build ultra-fast computers. The development of nanotechnology will change the life of mankind more than the development of writing, the steam engine or electricity. The nanoworld is complex and still relatively little studied, and yet not as far from us as it seemed a few years ago.

Nanotechnology in medicine

From nanotechnological developments in medicinewaiting for revolutionary achievements in the fight against cancer, especially dangerous infections, in early diagnosis, in prosthetics. Intensive research is being carried out in all these areas. Some of their results have already come into medical practice. Here are just two notable examples:

By killing microbes and destroying tumors, drugs usually deal a blow to healthy organs and cells of the body. It is because of this that some of the most serious diseases still cannot be reliably cured - medicines have to be used in too small doses. The way out is to deliver the right substance directly to the affected cell without touching the rest.

To do this, nanocapsules are created, most often biological particles (for example, liposomes), inside which a nanodose of the drug is placed. Scientists are trying to "tune" the capsules to certain types of cells that they must destroy by penetrating the membranes. More recently, the first industrial preparations of this type have appeared to combat certain types of cancer and other diseases.

Nanoparticles help solve other problems with drug delivery in the body. So, the human brain is seriously protected by nature from the penetration of unnecessary substances through the blood vessels. However, this protection is not ideal. It is easily overcome by molecules of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and antidepressants, but it blocks drugs for serious diseases of the brain itself. To enter them, you have to do complex operations. A new way to deliver drugs to the brain using nanoparticles is now being tested. A protein that freely passes the “brain barrier” plays the role of a “Trojan horse”: a quantum dot (semiconductor nanocrystal) is “fastened” to the molecules of this protein and, together with it, penetrates to the brain cells. While quantum dots only signal that the barrier has been overcome, in the future it is planned to use them and other nanoparticles for diagnostics and treatment.

The worldwide project of deciphering the human genome has long been completed - a complete determination of the structure of DNA molecules that are found in all cells of our body and continuously control their development, division, and renewal. However, for the individual prescription of drugs, for the diagnosis and prognosis of hereditary diseases, it is necessary to decipher not the genome in general, but the genome of a given patient. But the decoding process is still very long and expensive.

Nanotechnology offers interesting ways to solve this problem. For example, the use of nanopores - when a molecule passes through such a pore placed in a solution, the sensor registers it by changing the electrical resistance. However, much can be done without waiting for a complete solution to such a complex problem. There are already biochips that recognize more than two hundred “genetic syndromes” responsible for various diseases in a patient in one analysis.

Diagnostics of the state of individual living cells directly in the body is another field of application of nanotechnology. Currently, probes are being tested, consisting of an optical fiber tens of nanometers thick, to which a chemically sensitive nanoelement is attached. The probe is inserted into the cell and transmits information about the reaction of the sensitive element via the optical fiber. In this way, it is possible to study in real time the state of various zones inside the cell, to obtain very important information about violations of its fine biochemistry. And this is the key to diagnosing serious diseases at a stage when there are no external manifestations yet - and when it is much easier to cure the disease.

An interesting example is the creation of new technologies for sequencing (determining the nucleotide sequence) of DNA molecules. Nanopore sequencing, a technology that uses pores to count particles from submicron to millimeter in size, suspended in an electrolyte solution, should be mentioned first of all among such techniques. When a molecule passes through a pore, the electrical resistance in the sensor circuit changes. And each new molecule is registered by the current change. The main goal that scientists who are developing this method are trying to achieve is to learn to recognize individual nucleotides in the composition of RNA and DNA.

Information Technology

Information technologies are developing rapidly before our eyes. Nanotechnology they are being transformed in a revolutionary way in connection with the possibility of making the equipment more miniature and more adapted to individual human needs. A number of organic molecular groups are known that can function as a rectifier, a conductive bus, or a storage device. To store one bit of information, theoretically, only one molecule is needed. A hard disk drive made in this way could have many times the capacity of today's counterparts.

One of the most promising areas in nanoelectronics today is the use of nanowires (nanowires) - threads of various materials, whose thickness reaches a few nanometers. A transistor can be "stretched" along the nanowire - it is assumed that such transistors will become the basis for flexible electronic circuits located in the "smart tissue". It will, of course, require reliable technology to create huge arrays of transistors on nanowires, and it is amazing that one of the most realistic ways to do this is to assemble nanowires using natural nanomachines, DNA molecules. Encouraging results have already been achieved along this path.

Nanowires can also be very useful for creating next-generation non-volatile (not erased when the power is turned off) magnetic memory. With no moving parts, such a device would combine the capacity of a hard drive with the size and read speed of the best silicon chips.

However, today no one can assert that nanowires will become the basis of computer technology in the near future. Many research groups are working on other basic elements - in particular, graphene films. However, all promising areas relate to nanotechnology, that is, they use the unusual properties of artificially created nanometer structures of certain materials. In the future, such materials should ensure the creation of even more powerful and compact processors, where information will no longer be represented by an electric charge, as it is now. Electronics is about to be replaced by spintronics, which operates on the states of individual atoms or molecules.

Well, in the longer term, computer technology is likely to face an even more fundamental revolution - not only in the element base, but in the very principles of computing. We are talking about the creation of quantum processors - devices that work with "quantum bits", or "qubits". A quantum processor doesn't have to be very small—current prototypes take up an entire room. Most likely, it will not become a replacement for a classic computer. The value of this machine is different - using the laws of quantum mechanics, it is able (so far - only in theory!) to solve some problems that are practically inaccessible to ordinary computers: to crack the most complex ciphers, to analyze giant databases with great speed, and most importantly, to calculate the structure with high accuracy and properties of substances at the molecular level.

In the coming years, scientists plan only to develop reliable technologies for creating single qubits. However, the potential possibilities of quantum computers are so tempting that more and more research teams are involved in these studies, and first of all, nanotechnologists.

Energy

There is also a potential nanotechnological alternative to energy resources. This is especially true in an era of extremely high world oil prices. Oil may well replace solar energy. Scientists are convinced that with a certain use of nanotechnology, the efficiency of collecting solar energy will increase so much that everyone will simply forget about oil and coal. The energy of the Sun is equally available to all states on the planet, and it is difficult to imagine how one country will block another access to this source. Consequently, one reason for wars and conflicts due to nanotechnology may become less.

Nanotechnology and food

If such a concept as nanotechnology is now gaining more and more fame due to its application in many important areas of human activity, then such a term as nanoeed practically unknown to anyone. However, nanotechnologies are also in great demand in this area. Especially considering that the ongoing growth of the world's population, along with the growth of consumption in recent years, has become one of the most acute global problems. Did you know that a significant part of biologically active additives used in animal husbandry is simply not absorbed by animals? And here, as in the case of cosmetics, nanotechnologies come to the rescue - biologically active additives and vitamins enclosed in micelles with a diameter of several tens of nanometers are absorbed by the body much better than those dissolved in water or liquid food. And since vitamins and dietary supplements are better absorbed, muscle growth is faster, and meat arrives on store shelves much earlier than usual.

By the way, the process of delivering food products to consumers is undergoing significant changes with the widespread introduction of nanotechnology. Large food companies are most interested in packaging technologies, in particular, silver nanoparticles used as an antibacterial coating are widely used. Nanotechnology also provides food manufacturers with unique opportunities for comprehensive monitoring of the quality and safety of products directly in the production process, i.e. in real time. We are talking about diagnostic machines using nanosensors of various types, capable of quickly and reliably detecting the smallest chemical contaminants or dangerous biological agents in products. However, the intentions of scientists regarding the use of these technologies in food production are much larger and more ambitious. They hope that their use in farming (when growing grains, vegetables, plants and animals), and in food production (when processing and packaging) will lead to the birth of an entirely new class of products that will eventually force genetically modified food out of the market. Whether this will happen or not is a matter of the very near future.

Beauty and nanotechnology

The beauty industry is one of the areas where the latest technology is applied the fastest. Nanotechnologies, which have relatively recently ceased to be used exclusively in technical devices, can now be increasingly found in cosmetic products. It has been established that 80 percent of all cosmetic substances applied to the skin remain on it, regardless of cost. This means that the effect of their use affects, basically, only the condition of the uppermost part of the skin. Therefore, the success of the cosmetics industry is increasingly dependent on the development of systems for delivering active ingredients to the deep layers of the skin. Nanotechnologies have come to help in solving this problem, which has been facing cosmetologists for a long time.

Skin aging is due to the fact that cell renewal slows down with age. To stimulate the growth of young cells, the number of which determines the elasticity of the skin, its color and the absence of wrinkles, it is necessary to act on the deepest, growth layer of the dermis. It is separated from the surface of the skin by a barrier of horny scales held together by a lipid layer. This can be done only through intercellular spaces, the diameter of which is negligible - no more than 100 nm. But microscopic "gates" are not the only obstacle. There is another difficulty: the substances that fill these gaps “do not let through” water-soluble compounds. But these substances, called lipids, can be "cheated" using nanotechnology. One of the solutions to the problem of delivery of biologically active substances was the creation of artificial "containers", liposomes, which, firstly, are small in size, penetrating into intercellular spaces, and, secondly, are recognized by lipids as "friendly". A liposome is a colloidal system in which the water core is surrounded on all sides by a closed spherical formation. The water-soluble compound thus masked passes unhindered through the lipid barrier. Cosmetics based on liposomes fight the first signs of skin aging - increased dryness, wrinkles. Thanks to the system of liposomal complexes, nutrients are able to penetrate deep enough. But, unfortunately, not enough to significantly affect the regenerative processes in the skin.

Micelles are microscopic particles formed in solutions and consisting of a core and a shell. Depending on the state of the solution, what the core and shell consist of, micelles can take on various external forms. Liposomes are one of the varieties of micelles. The next step in the development of anti-aging cosmetics was the creation of nanos. These transport complexes are even smaller than liposomes and are spherical structures filled with vitamins, microelements or other useful substances. Due to their small size, nanosomes are able to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. But with all their advantages, nanosomes are not able to transport bioactive complexes necessary for proper cell nutrition. All they can do is transport one substance, such as a vitamin. Recent developments in the field of biotechnology have made it possible to create cosmetic products that can not only penetrate the zone of the germ layer of the dermis, but also cause in it exactly those processes that were programmed in the laboratory. Targeted cosmetics based on nanocomplexes not only transfer nutrients to the deep layers of the skin - in its arsenal, depending on the task, there are moisturizing, cleansing, removing toxins, smoothing scars, scars, and much more. Moreover, nanocomplexes are created in such a way that the release of bioactive substances occurs exactly on the area of the skin where they are needed. The main advantage of such cosmetics is targeted prevention of aging. After all, correcting the processes occurring in the skin is much more effective than dealing with the results of these processes.

Cars

The automotive industry is one of those that are the first to perceive innovations, including nanotechnological ones. Even today in this industry, the global turnover of products using nanotechnology is estimated at more than 8 billion dollars, and the forecast for 2015 is 54 billion. Here are just a few examples of how nano-innovation is transforming the familiar elements of a car.

Composite materials make body parts strong and light. The bodies of Formula 1 cars are made of carbon fiber composite - because such a body can even withstand collisions at speeds of about 300 km / h. Brake discs are also made of carbon-metal composites - they do not overheat during prolonged intensive braking.

The addition of nanoparticles to the fuel increases the efficiency of its combustion, while reducing the amount of harmful substances emitted into the atmosphere. The nanoparticles in the oil contribute to an increase in the engine life: according to some reports, the use of such additives reduces the wear of parts by 1.5-2 times.

The scratched surface of the car not only looks bad, but also worsens the aerodynamic properties of the car, nullifying the percentage of fuel economy provided by aerodynamics. Therefore, nanotechnology is also used in the production of paint to make it more resistant to external influences. Daimler Chrysler has been using nanoscale ceramic lacquer for Mercedes-Benz vehicles for several years now. It is much harder to scratch than normal, and it also shines in the sunlight in a special way. And the industry is mastering with might and main coatings based on titanium dioxide nanoparticles for self-cleaning car windows. In the future, the market expects the appearance of nanopaints capable of changing their color over a wide range. There are already anti-corrosion nano-coatings for the car body, and in the coming years, new generations of such coatings should appear - self-healing "smart materials" saturated with nanocapsules. When damaged or rusty, the capsules release "healing" nanoparticles.

Headlights, too, should change dramatically in the coming years. Fashionable xenon lamps today can be replaced by LED lamps produced using nanotechnology. In a slightly more distant perspective - light sources based on quantum dots, semiconductor nanocrystals. Carbon nanoparticles (so-called black carbon) are added to tire rubber, and its strength is noticeably increased. Liquids saturated with magnetic nanoparticles are being tested for use in shock absorbers with adjustable stiffness.

Nanotechnology of the day after tomorrow can make the car completely different even externally. Created polymer composites on nanotubes, products from which change shape under the influence of electric current. They want to use them in the aircraft industry - the aircraft will be able to change the shape of the wing, adapting to flight conditions. But almost at the same time, BMW showed its new concept - a car with a changeable form, also saturated with nanomaterials. Therefore, the idea of a car with non-rigid geometry is in the air. There is no doubt that nanotechnologists will try to bring it to mind - more precisely, to a smart nanomaterial.

A hydrogen-powered car is one of the general lines for the development of motor transport. The Americans plan to bring this technology to readiness by 2015. Nanotechnologies are called upon to play a decisive role in the three main stages of working with hydrogen. First, powerful solar installations based on nanomaterials would be very useful for obtaining hydrogen from water. Secondly, it would be much safer to store hydrogen not in cylinders under huge pressure, but in nanoporous materials - they are now being constructed. Finally, the energy elements themselves, most likely, will not do without nanostructures.

Well, smart roads, saturated with nanoelectronic sensors that tell the smart car everything that is needed for safe driving, the reader can easily imagine himself.

In a word, nanotechnologies are the "magic key" to all branches of science and production.

Global spending on nanotechnology projects now exceeds $9 billion a year. The US accounts for about a third of all global investment in nanotechnology. Other major investors in the nanotechnology market are the European Union and Japan. Forecasts show that by 2015 the total number of employees of various branches of the nanotechnology industry may reach 2 million people, and the total cost of goods produced using nanomaterials may approach $1 trillion.

Nanotechnology in art

A number of works by the American artistNatasha Vita-Morrelated to nanotechnology.

In modern arta new trend emergednanoart"(nanoart) (eng.nanoart ) is an art form associated with the creationartistsculptures (compositions) of micro- and nano-sizes (10-6 and 10 -9 m, respectively) under the influence of chemical or physical processes of processing materials, photographing the obtainednanoimages usingelectron microscopeand processing black and white photographs in a graphic editor (for example,Adobe Photoshop).

The composition "Nanobots" by the Russian group Re-Zone is dedicated to nanorobots and their role in social progress.

Nanotechnology in science fiction

In the well-known work of the Russian writerN. Leskova"Lefty" ( year) there is an interesting fragment:

If, - he says, - there was a better smallscope, which magnifies it at five million, then you would deign, - he says, - to see that on each horseshoe the master's name is displayed: which Russian master made that horseshoe - the head of a nanotechnology corporation and the first person to experience the effects of medicalnanorobots.

In the sci-fi seriesStargate: SG-1"one of the most technically and socially advanced races is the race"replicators”, which arose as a result of a failed experimentancient with the use and description of various applications of nanotechnology. In film "The Day the Earth Stood Still” starring Keanu Reeves, an alien civilization passes a death sentence on humanity and almost destroys everything on the planet with the help of self-replicating nano-replicant beetles, devouring everything in its path.in Moscow in the Central Exhibition Complex "Expocentre". The program of the Forum consisted of the business part, scientific and technological sections, poster presentations, reports of participants in the International Competition for Scientific Works of Young Scientists in the Field of Nanotechnology and an exhibition.

In total, 9024 participants and visitors from Russia and 32 foreign countries took part in the Forum events, including:

4048 participants of the congress part of the Forum
4212 exhibition visitors
559 stand attendant
205 media representatives covered the work of the Forum

AT 200910,191 people from 75 regions of the Russian Federation and 38 foreign countries took part in the Forum events, including:

4,022 participants of the congress part of the Forum
9,240 exhibition visitors
951 stand attendant
409 media representatives covered the work of the Forum

AT 2010Almost 7,200 people took part in the forum. Among the visitors of the excursions specially organized by the RUSNANO Forum Foundation for schoolchildren were participants of the All-Russian Internet Nanotechnology Olympiad, and schoolchildren, who for the first time found themselves at the center of a major nanotechnology event. Schoolchildren from Cheboksary, Tula, Rostov-on-Don came especially to attend the Forum. Postgraduate students became tour guidesMoscow State University Lomonosovincluded in the process of preparing the nanotechnological Olympiad.