What Is Nanotechnology ?

A basic definition: Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular or atomic scale.The word 'nanotechnology' has been popularized in the 1980's, talking about building machines on the scale of molecules. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller, and involves developing materials or devices within that size.

There are,second the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative four generations of Nanotechnology: Passive Nanostructures (2000), Active Nanostructures (2005),Systens of Nanostructures (2010)and Molecular Nanostructures(2015/2020).

There has been much debate on the future of implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has the potential to create many new materials and devices with wide-ranging applications, such as in medicine, electronics, and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with any introduction of new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials.

By: Bárbara Betônico Berg.

Bibliography:
http://www.crnano.org/whatis.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_nanotechnology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoelectronics
http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/nanotechnology/