Nanoscience and nanotechnology – driving research and applications

Nanoscience and nanotechnology represent scientific‐technical areas that in less than twenty years have gone from being in the hands of a small group of researchers who glimpsed their great potential, to constitute one of the recognized pillars of scientific progress for the next decades. This paper illustrates how the irruption of the nanotechnologies will directly affect human beings by substantially improving diagnosis and treatment of diseases as well as our capacities to interact with our surroundings. Governments around the world have realized the important role that nanotechnology deserves, and during the last decade budgets allocated to research and development in nanotechnology have continuously increased. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nanoscience in Latin America

Journal of Nanoparticle Research -     

Progress of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in China

Nanoscience and nanotechnology has been attracting wide attention and is becoming an active frontier area. Chinese scientists have followed with the main stream interest in the development of Nanoscience and nanotechnology since its initial stage. In the present paper, the achievements and present status of China in relative researches such as nanomaterials, nanodevices and characterization of nanostructure are described.     

Focus on Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Switzerland

Journal of Nanoparticle Research -     

Nanoscience: The quantum frontier

This overview begins with some historical comments and then describes some recent work on theoretical and experimental nanoscience advances. The focus is mainly on nanotubes and fullerenes. Electronic, optical, structural, mechanical, and superconducting properties of these systems are discussed.     

Nanoscience and Engineering: The Next Five Years

The current and planned research in nanoscience and engineering will make possible a paradigm shift in nanoscale devices and structures.     

National Center for Nanoscience and Technology,China

Overview
The National Center for Nanoscience and Technology （NCNST） of China is co-founded by Chinese Acadenly of Sciencrs （CAS） and Ministry of Education.     

Surface Science: Foundations of Catalysis and Nanoscience

Journal of Nanoparticle Research -     

Responsible nanotechnology development

Chelated gadolinium ions, e.g., Gd-DTPA, are today used clinically as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An attractive alternative contrast agent is composed of gadolinium oxide nanoparticles as they have shown to provide enhanced contrast and, in principle, more straightforward molecular capping possibilities. In this study, we report a new, simple, and polyol-free way of synthesizing 4?C5-nm-sized Gd₂O₃ nanoparticles at room temperature, with high stability and water solubility. The nanoparticles induce high-proton relaxivity compared to Gd-DTPA showing r ₁ and r ₂ values almost as high as those for free Gd³⁺ ions in water. The Gd₂O₃ nanoparticles are capped with acetate and carbonate groups, as shown with infrared spectroscopy, near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and combined thermogravimetric and mass spectroscopy analysis. Interpretation of infrared spectroscopy data is corroborated by extensive quantum chemical calculations. This nanomaterial is easily prepared and has promising properties to function as a core in a future contrast agent for MRI.     

Developing nanotechnology in Latin America

This article investigates the development of nanotechnology in Latin America with a particular focus on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Based on data for nanotechnology research publications and patents and suggesting a framework for analyzing the development of R&D networks, we identify three potential strategies of nanotechnology research collaboration. Then, we seek to identify the balance of emphasis upon each of the three strategies by mapping the current research profile of those four countries. In general, we find that they are implementing policies and programs to develop nanotechnologies but differ in their collaboration strategies, institutional involvement, and level of development. On the other hand, we find that they coincide in having a modest industry participation in research and a low level of commercialization of nanotechnologies.

Nanomedicine, nanotechnology in medicine

Nanomedicine is a relatively new field of science and technology. It looks sometimes ill defined and interpretations of that term may vary, especially between Europe and the United States.By interacting with biological molecules, therefore at nanoscale, nanotechnology opens up a vast field of research and application. Interactions between artificial molecular assemblies or nanodevices and biomolecules can be understood both in the extracellular medium and inside the human cells. Operating at nanoscale allows to exploit physical properties different from those observed at microscale such as the volume/surface ratio.The investigated diagnostic applications can be considered for in vitro as well as for in vivo diagnosis. In vitro, the synthesised particles and manipulation or detection devices allow for the recognition, capture, and concentration of biomolecules. In vivo, the synthetic molecular assemblies are mainly designed as a contrast agent for imaging.A second area exhibiting a strong development is “nanodrugs” where nanoparticles are designed for targeted drug delivery. The use of such carriers improves the drug biodistribution, targeting active molecules to diseased tissues while protecting healthy tissue.A third area of application is regenerative medicine where nanotechnology allows developing biocompatible materials which support growth of cells used in cell therapy.The application of nanotechnology to medicine raises new issues because of new uses they allow, for instance: Is the power of these new diagnostics manageable by the medical profession? What means treating a patient without any clinical signs? Nanomedicine can contribute to the development of a personalised medicine both for diagnosis and therapy.There exists in many countries existing regulatory frameworks addressing the basic rules of safety and effectiveness of nanotechnology based medicine, whether molecular assemblies or medical devices. However, there is a need to clarify or to modify these regulations which mobilise many experts.France is a country where the medical development of nanotechnology is significant, like Germany, the United Kingdom or Spain, as regards the European Union. There is an active scientific community and industrial partners of all sizes, even if the technology transfer to industry is not as effective as in North America.     

Journal information flow in nanotechnology

The nanotechnology development is accompanied by an intensive growth of information flow which is specially noticeable as applied to journal information flow. Now over the world there are the 69 nano-titled journals with the impact factor and/or a settled periodicity as well as the 70 those which lack stability periodicity and are in an organization stage. Only 49 nano-titled have the impact factor with the comparatively high mean value of about 3.44. The domestic nano-titled journals published in Russia, India, China, and other countries are also considered. The attention is taken that in the 2006–2010 period the 95 new nano-titled journals were organized and in 2011 this process is continuing and seems to be the most impressive. Many nano-related journals (including classical physical, chemical and materials science ones) are also described and discussed.     

Metal particle combustion and nanotechnology

Metal combustion has received renewed interest largely as a result of the ability to produce and characterize metallic nanoparticles. Much of the highly desirable traits of nanosized metal powders in combustion systems have been attributed to their high specific surface area (high reactivity) and potential ability to store energy in surfaces. In addition, nanosized powders are known to display increased catalytic activity, superparamagnetic behavior, superplasticity, lower melting temperatures, lower sintering temperatures, and higher theoretical densities compared to micron and larger sized materials. The lower melting temperatures can result in lower ignition temperatures of metals. The combustion rates of materials with nanopowders have been observed to increase significantly over similar materials with micron sized particles. A lower limit in size of nanoenergetic metallic powders in some cases may result from the presence of their passivating oxide coating. Consequently, coatings, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), and the development of composite materials that limit the volume of non-energetic material in the powders have been under development in recent years. After a brief review of the classifications of metal combustion based on thermodynamic considerations and the different types of combustion regimes of metal particles (diffusion vs. kinetic control), an overview of the combustion of aluminum nanoparticles, their applications, and their synthesis and assembly is presented.     

First Russian standards in nanotechnology

The problem of ensuring uniformity of measurements in nanotechnology is discussed. A functional block diagram is developed for length unit size transfer from the primary length standard (meter) to the nanometric range. The first six Russian national standards are presented, which ensure this transfer using scanning electron and atomic force microscopes.     

Workshop Nanoscience C: Controlling interactions in complex materials

The second international workshop of the Soochow University—Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research took place at Soochow University, Suzhou, China, on May 6–8, 2014. The host organizations for this workshop were Soochow University in China and the University of Western Ontario (also known as Western University) in Canada.     

Workshop Nanoscience B: Self-Assembly-from molecules to materials

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the design of electron accelerators in order to reduce beam emittance and to increase photon brilliance (from third-generation synchrotron sources to free electron lasers). This has increased the coherent properties of the beam and has opened up new branches of microscopy and spectroscopy at nanometer-length scales. The X-ray nano probe is going to be an important tool for future research, hence there has been substantial research carried out in order to develop nano focusing optics of diffraction-limited performance.     

Monitoring nanotechnology using patent classifications: an overview and comparison of nanotechnology classification schemes

Patents are an essential information source used to monitor, track, and analyze nanotechnology. When it comes to search nanotechnology-related patents, a keyword search is often incomplete and struggles to cover such an interdisciplinary discipline. Patent classification schemes can reveal far better results since they are assigned by experts who classify the patent documents according to their technology. In this paper, we present the most important classifications to search nanotechnology patents and analyze how nanotechnology is covered in the main patent classification systems used in search systems nowadays: the International Patent Classification (IPC), the United States Patent Classification (USPC), and the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC). We conclude that nanotechnology has a significantly better patent coverage in the CPC since considerable more nanotechnology documents were retrieved than by using other classifications, and thus, recommend its use for all professionals involved in nanotechnology patent searches.     

Environmental gamma and radon dosimetry in Venezuela

Environmental gamma exposure and radon concentration levels measured in Venezuelan regions are presented. A new generation image analyser was used for particle track counting in CR-39 detectors. Mineral water wells from where water is supplied for massive consumption have an alpha activity around 0.450 Bq L⁻¹ and few of them have concentrations above 50 Bq L⁻¹. Coastal potable water activity is on the average around 5.3 ± 12% Bq L⁻¹. Indoor radon national average is 36 ± 5% Bq m⁻³; in two of the 36 monitored sites, the measured average is above 400 ± 5% Bq m⁻³. In air gamma dose values are between 100 and 144 nGy h⁻¹. In soil, ¹³⁷Cs concentration is around 0.5 and 10 Bq kg⁻¹ at the depth of down to 20 cm. Building materials were included in this study. ⁷Be and ¹³⁷Cs were measured in low concentration in tropical plants on Tepuy-s (sacred mountains in the Amazonas State). Geological active faults were identified by radon concentration measurements using LR-115.     

Inventory of nanotechnology companies in Mexico

This study presents an inventory of 139 nanotechnology companies in Mexico, identifying their geographic distribution, economic sector classification, and position in the nanotechnology value chain. We find that the principal economic sector of nanotechnology-engaged firms involves the manufacture of chemical products, which largely serve as means of production (primary or intermediate materials; instruments and equipment) for industrial processes. The methodology used in this analysis could be replicated in other countries without major modifications.