Nanotechnology is the study and development of systems at the nanometric scale, where one nanometer corresponds to:
One billionth of a meter (10⁻⁹ meters); nanotechnology studies matter at a nanometric resolution level, between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers. At this size scale, materials exhibit characteristics and properties distinct from those of the same material at larger particle sizes, and these properties, which are governed by the laws of Quantum Mechanics, are what scientists use to create new materials (nanomaterials).
In this way, Nanotechnology promotes solutions to multiple problems affecting humanity such as environmental, energy, health (nanomedicine), and many others, for example the treatment of glass surfaces for rain-repellent protection on vehicle windows or the “Easy Clean” treatment for bathroom screens.
In the case of glass surfaces, two major challenges must be overcome:
- The first is that anchoring any type of product onto glass is very difficult since the pore size of these materials is very small, and products do not penetrate into it but remain on the surface, eventually detaching from it in a very short period of time.
- The second challenge is the transparency of the product being applied, since it must not alter the surface visibility or modify its appearance.
In these respects, nanotechnology has successfully developed treatments that overcome these limitations.
Most of them are based on applications of protective layers invisible to the human eye that alter the surface tension of the material.
By altering this property, water behaves differently; in some cases, treated glass becomes a hydrophobic surface (repels water).
For this reason, water droplets fail to wet the surface and instead slide across it like small spheres.
At other times, treatments make the surface more hydrophilic (strong attraction to water).
In this case, water behaves in a way that spreads much more easily across the glass, generating the “curtain effect,” which is very important in self-cleaning surface applications.
These are just small examples of industrial uses of major advances in nanotechnology. We are confident that nanotechnology will lead to the development of extraordinary new applications across many diverse fields.
We can say that many advances in nanoscience will be among the great technological breakthroughs that will change the world.
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