What are nanoparticles?
Nanoparticles are very small engineered particles ranging from 1 nanometers to 100 nanometers in size. They are nanoscale materials in which surface or interface properties prevail over bulk-form properties. The large surface area of these nanoparticles allows for new physical or chemical properties such as increased catalytic activity, improved solubility, and different optical properties. While nanoparticles may be engineered to have precise geometric arrangements, they can still exist in irregular fragments or can occur naturally by conventional production processes without intentional engineering. Because of their extremely small size (even smaller than the wavelength of visible light), they can pass through nearly all filters and do not reduce transparency of a material.
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How can nanoparticles be utilized?
Because of nanoparticles’ flexibility and ability to play specific roles in particular ways, nanomaterials are used in various industries, from healthcare and environmental preservation to air purification. For example, in the medical field, nanomaterials can be used to deliver drugs to areas where conventional drugs cannot approach due to cells’ thick impermeable membranes. Especially, ceramic nanoparticles have been used to effectively deliver drugs for diseases such as bacterial infection and glaucoma. In addition, since ceramic nanoparticles have high heat resistance, they can be utilized in photocatalysis, photodegradation, and biological imaging. Also, carbon nanotubes are being developed to be used for the creation of bacteria sensors, as a water purification method, and for morphing of aircraft wings in aerospace. CNTs are very unique in the way that they are thermally and electrically conductive and are 100 times stronger than steel, and these properties open up the vast potential of CNTs in commerce and architecture. Nanowires play a role too. Nanowires such as zinc oxide nanowires are being developed to be applied in flexible solar cells and treatment of polluted water.
Nanoparticles as SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine
Nanoparticles have potential as a possible solution for the current COVID-19 pandemic. According to Science Daily, Washington University has created a nanoparticle protein that has the ability to self-assemble (proteins assemble themselves to create a new variety of proteins). These nanoparticles can target specific spike proteins on the virus and trigger the activation of B cells which creates antibodies. The use of “nanoparticle vaccine” can be advantageous as these self-assembly nanoparticles are relatively simple to produce, require only a small amount of dose to have the desired effect, and are easy to be stored and transported as they do not require to be freezed like other vaccines do.
Nanotechnology being used for Water Purification
Currently, the need for cleaner water and development of a large-scale water purification method is pressing. Nanofilters such as carbon nanotubes and alumina fibers can provide answers to this pressing concern. Researchers at the D.J. Sanghvi College of Engineering in Mumbai stated that “[t]he main advantages of using nanofilters, as opposed to conventional systems, are that less pressure is required to pass water across the filter, they are more efficient, and they have incredibly large surface areas and can be more easily cleaned by back-flushing compared with conventional methods.”
Nanoparticles as potential cure for Cancer
Recently, since the development of mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, a new anticancer drug that precisely targets cancer cells through nanotechnology is drawing attention. Some researchers predict that this anticancer nanoparticle drug will be the next-generation anticancer drug to succeed. Research on nanotechnology anticancer drugs has been in progress since 1965, but nano-chemotherapy has not proven superior to conventional chemotherapy due to their limitations such as cytotoxicity and other side effects. However, recently, “Nano-Drug delivery System” is drawing attention again due to the popularization of the mRNA Covid-19 vaccine. Researchers at Korea Institute of Science Technology (KIST) proposed a new type of biological nanomachine that penetrates the cell membrane and kills specific target cells using the movements of nanoparticles in certain cell environments such as in cancer cells. These researches open a new possibility to fight off the cancer with more efficiency and less toxicity.
The Future of Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology’s possibilities are endless. First of all, nanotechnology has the potential to tackle climate change. Tackling climate change means that a new way to generate and store energy must be developed, and nanotechnology has the potential to play a role in doing so. It has been utilized in creating batteries to store more energy than conventional batteries and in creating solar cells to convert solar energy into usable electrical energy. Second, nanotechnology has the potential to replace doctors. Tiny nanoparticles that work as sensors could be implanted into our bodies to monitor and capture detailed information about our health with less or even no harm on our bodies. Scientists are also looking towards a possibility of creating nanotechnology interfering with organ functions to control the body systems. Nanoparticles’ self-healing properties can also play a role in creating self-healing structures.
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