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| Nano Scale |
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| Practical Nanotechnology |
Nanotechnology is the
manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. It was first referred to as the
particular technological goal of precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for
fabrication of macroscale products. ‘Scientists knew that matter existed on the nano scale but were unable
to analyze it through microscopes. In 1981, scientists at the IBM laboratories in Zürich, Switzerland,
invented the Scanning Tunneling Microscope, which looked at the topography of
atoms that previously could not be seen. This breakthrough marked a paradigm
shift in how scientists analyze minuscule matter, allowing them to record shape
by tactile sensing instead of viewing it, much like a blind man reading
Braille, only on the atomic scale.’
Now, nanotechnology is used in so many things that intersect with art on an nanoscale.
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| Sports Wear |
Norio Taniguchi, who coined the term ‘nanotechnology’, first talked about thin filaments deposited on things, like glare reduction on lenses. Silver (Ag) nanoparticles are widely used in sports wear, featuring an antimicrobial effect that keeps it from smelling or accumulating bacteria. It keeps food lasting longer and is used in food packaging of consumer products. It is also used in biomimicry, quantum dots, nanomedicine, nano photonics, cosmetics, self-cleaning coatings, and nanoclay in tennis balls and plastic beer bottles. I have never thought about how much technology goes into making a tennis ball, but on the nano scale, the fibers help keep it inflated for longer.
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| Tennis Ball |
We
are exposed to nanotechnology in many ways and have been using it for quite a
while. For example, in old stain glass, beautiful, richer colors are achieved using nanoparticles. In
the 15th and 16th centuries, pottery containing copper
and silver nanoparticles created beautiful colorations and designs that we not
due to glazing. In
the daylight this cup looks green but when illuminated from the inside it
appears red because the Romans used nanosized gold particles. It doesn’t
actually look like gold and thus has special properties that exemplify
nanotechnology used in art in 400 AD.
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| Roman cups |
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| Pottery and nanoparticles |
The characteristics of nanotechnology can also be seen in beautiful seashells, trees, weather patterns, cloud formations, bird formations, and snowflakes. Its chemical and physical properties allow it to form specific pattern and ripple effects in petri dishes as well. In
morphogenic processes, a belousov reaction creates a chemical response where
colored patterns move and interact with each other in an artistic way.
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| Petri Dish |
However, it's most fascinating properties are shown in the application to cosmetics because it combines scientific mechanisms with health concerns and the beauty industry. The
applications of nanotechnology and nanomaterials can be found in many cosmetic
products including moisturisers, hair care products, make up and sunscreen. In sunscreens, zinc and titanium are
“micronized”, making them transparent, less greasy, less smelly and more
absorbable into the skin. Nanoemulsions in hair products encapsulate active
ingredients and carry them deeper into the hair shafts. L’Oreal (which ranks No. 6 in nanotechnology patent holders in
the U.S.) has used polymer nanocapsules to deliver active ingredients, like
retinol and Vitamin A, into deeper layers of the skin. In 1998, they unveiled
Plentitude Revitalift- an anti-wrinkle cream using nanoparticles. It just goes to show how much nanotechnology is immersed in our everyday lives.
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| Cosmetics |
Works Cited:
"Nanotech
Jim Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE>.
N.d.
Photograph. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/id1360.jpg>.
"Nanotechnology
in Cosmetics." Nanotechnology in Cosmetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov.
2013. <http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-in-cosmetics.php>.
"What
Is Nanotechnology?" Where Nature & Nano Technology Unite: Sella All
Natural Skincare. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.stylechicago.com/Category.asp?ID=19293>.
Tennis
Ball, Http://i.forbesimg.com/images/2003/12/29/tenninsball_250x155.jpg.
Personal photograph by author. 2013.
"Nanotech
Jim Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0HCNiU_108>.
YouTube. YouTube, n.d.
Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7>.
"Nanotech
Jim Pt4." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHCuZetAIhk>.
"Nanotech
Jim Pt5." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OWc8nmHJmY>.
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Art Make Nanotechnology Easier to Understand?" National Geographic.
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<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1223_031223_nanotechnology.html>.
