Week 8: Nanotech + Art

This week we learned about Nanotechnology, a field that could revolutionize social and economic aspects of our lives (Nanotech for Artists Part 1). Nanotechnology involves manipulating materials at the nanoscale level, often just a few hundred atoms in size (Urwin, 2024). At an incredibly small size, materials have unique properties that differ from their larger forms. Many companies have used scientists and engineers to use these unique properties to create new and improved products for everyday use.

One cool example of nanotechnology is the use of silver nanoparticles in clothing. Silver has natural properties that can kill bacteria and other microbes (Nanotech for Artists Part 3). When the tiny silver particles are added to clothing, they help to stop the growth of bacteria that cause bad smells. This means that the clothes stay fresher for longer, reducing the need to wash them as frequently. Overall, this helps to keep clothes cleaner and more hygienic as well as reduce energy consumption in the process.

[Figure 1] New Cloth Market, "Fighting Microbial Warfare With Silver Nanoparticles" 

Another interesting application of nanotechnology is in tennis balls. When nanomaterials are used in the ball’s creation, they can help keep air inside, allowing the ball to stay inflated and bouncy for a longer period of time (Nanotech for Artists Part 3). This means better performance and a longer lifespan for tennis balls. Nanotechnology is also making a huge impact in the food and drink industry. For example, beer bottles can be lined with a nano coating that helps help the carbonation inside. This is a small change that makes a huge difference in maintaining the quality of these products.

[Figure 2] ResearchGate, "Polymer-clay nanocomposite coating acts as a gas barrier" 

Quantum dots are another fascinating application of nanotechnology. These are tiny semiconductor particles, only a few nanometers in size, that can emit different colors of light when exposed to ultraviolet light (Nanowerk, 2024). The size of the quantum dot determines the color of the light emitted, falling onto a spectrum with smaller dots producing blue light and larger dots emitting red light. This unique property makes quantum dots incredibly useful in various ways such as a potential alternative to makeup or also used to tag certain types of diseases with the colors to be used as a flag when something is present (Nanotech for Artists Part 4). It is quite amazing to see how there are so many different fields that can use nanotechnology to their advantage.

 

[Figure 3] Chemistry World, "Why have quantum dots won the 2023 Nobel prize?" 

Works Cited 

Berger, Michael. “What Are Quantum Dots?” Nanotechnology, 20 Mar. 2024, www.nanowerk.com/what_are_quantum_dots.php.

Gimzewski, James. “Nanotech for Artists Part 1.” Bruinlearn. https://bruinlearn.ucla.edu/courses/183769/pages/unit-8-view?module_item_id=6671258. 

Gimzewski, Jim. “Nanotech for Artists Part 3.” Bruinlearn. https://bruinlearn.ucla.edu/courses/183769/pages/unit-8-view?module_item_id=6671258. 

Gimzewski, Jim. “Nanotech for Artists Part 4.” Bruinlearn. https://bruinlearn.ucla.edu/courses/183769/pages/unit-8-view?module_item_id=6671258. 

Urwin, Matthew. “What Is Nanotechnology?” Built In, 16 Jan 2024. builtin.com/hardware/nanotechnology.