What is nanotechnology and how it impacts our lives

According to Assoc Prof Dr Ong Boon Hoong from University of Malaya, nanotechnology is an emerging science that is helping considerably to improve and even revolutionise many aspects technology and industry sectors.

“Information technology, homeland security, medicine, transportation, energy, food safety, environmental science are among the sectors may leverage from this nanotechnology.

“It can change our lives, from how we clean our house and cars, to the food we eat, it certainly makes our work easier and also reduce our cost because nano materials uses less substance,” said Dr Ong.

The technology of ‘splitting’ or ‘cutting’ materials into nanoscale has opened opportunities for science, engineering and technology to be conducted at a nanoscale and create designs such as nanowires, nanotubes, heterostructures and nanocomposites.

“There are two ways to create nanomaterials; first, top-down and second, bottom up. With the first method, top-down, we use a high speed electron or ion, or laser beam to “cut” materials into nanoscale. While the second method, bottom-up, is a chemical approach by mixing two more more precursors in solution to grow nanomaterials.

“Either way, the idea of breaking materials into nanoparticles basically is controlling the size and shape of the nanoparticle,

“It’s about the understanding of the available material out there, what are their specifics and properties of the nanomaterial to suit the application,” Dr Ong said.

He explained that the nanoparticle we use for solar energy conversion might be the same, however the size and shapes are different.

Healthcare Industry - Gold nanoparticles are widely used as hyperthermia agent in Cancer treatments. It can also enhance the MRI image for better diagnosis.

Clean Water - Nanoscaled photocatalysts such as Titanium Dioxide have superb efficiency to clean the wastewater by using light.

Clean energy - Titanium Dioxide based dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC)

Construction - Nanoparticle fillers to enhance the the strength yet lighten the concrete.

Dr Ong believes nanotechnology is crucial for Malaysia to move forward. It has a huge impact on technological developments over the decades to come and also likely to impact the society.