A new emerging technology that is still considered to be in its infancy is nanotechnology. This new science is said to have huge potential. Using this technology, the tiny worlds of molecules and atoms are explored to find ways to replenish usable materials. In addition, nanotechnology is being used to create new and improved materials from scratch.
As you can imagine from the word nano, this technology has a very tiny scale — one nanometer equals one millionth of a meter. Molecules and atoms are this small. So obviously working in nanotechnology requires tools and other machines for this small environment. One of the main differences in this nanotechnology is how the properties —physical and chemical — are so different from macro scale properties. These nanoparticles are more reactive and volatile. Interestingly, while the nano particles make up the macro-sized form, they can be different in color, even becoming transparent. Also, these particles can become unstable when taken out of macro form. For instance, aluminum, when reduced to nano size, will become combustible. These types of changes have created new fields to explore through the use of nanotechnology.
Currently, nanotechnology has been used to design new materials for use in such things as steel tubing, bike frames, and the link. These designs were made to be stronger and lighter. Because new materials are actually created from the inside out, there is huge potential for manufacturing. This new manufacturing process will be so customized that products will be built starting with the molecules and atoms and progressing from there. There is also a lot of research being done on organic materials at the nano level. Scientists are trying to reproduce DNA on a molecular level, since DNA has self-assembling features. These organization principles can help with the entire molecular manufacturing process.