DESMA9 Week 8 Post

As our technology progressing rapidly, some of our traditional perspectives are also shifting: bigger is no necessarily better. We used to appreciate giant stuff such as huge building and larger display screen. However, there are many things nowadays we prefer smaller sizes of them such as transistors (electronic chips). Just like its name, nano-science/technology refers to the study on things with nano-meter scale. The impact on our daily life by nano-technology is huge, for example, if we can make transistors smaller and fill more transistors in same size electronic chips, this is going to make our cell phone and computers more efficient and powerful. What's more, there are many interesting things happen at nano-scale, just like the picture shown below.

Figure 1. Electrochemically overgrown CuNi nano-pillars

This image shows the CuNi nano-pillar structure, and it looks like lines of trees after we add colors on its structure (broccoli or mushroom?). Believe or not, application of 'nano-science' appeared a thousand years ago. Ancient Egyptian add gold into glass while they are melting, which eventually yields ruby glass as shown in figure 2. Of course, ancient Egyptian did not know that this is actually caused by gold nanoparticles that emerged during reheat process of glass (but they do know how to make these glass). Same for the white paint (its white color comes from titania nanoparticles that have equivalent band gap energy with white color) , which artist across the global have used it for centuries.

 Figure 2. Ruby glass

As the microscope technology developed in past century, we are able to understand many unsolved questions by looking it at nano scale. The figure below shows the transformation in structure of CaCO3 on nano scale.

Figure 3. False color SEM image of warring CaCO3 polymorphs showing the transformation of vaterite (left) to the more stable calcite (right)

Here are some links recommended for this topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOLDWrW-21Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO4TSb_rPkg

Reference:
[1] "Nano Orchard and Other Amazing Nanotechnology Images." Nano Orchard and Other Amazing Nanotechnology Images. Web. 21 May 2016.
http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news/newsid=35631.php
[2] Lilley, Maiken. "The Art of Nanotech." PBS. PBS, 2010. Web. 21 May 2016.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/art-nanotech.html
[3] "Corning Museum of Glass." All About Glass. Web. 21 May 2016.
http://www.cmog.org/article/gold-ruby-glass
[4] "Paints." CIEC Promoting Science at the University of York, York, UK. Web. 21 May 2016.
[5] CHEM C180 Lecture by Professor Richard Kaner, spring quarter at UCLA