What is a nanoscale?

In the International System of Units, nano means one-billionth of a meter and is represented by the standard symbol nm.

A cm is 1/100th of a meter.

A millimeter is 1/1000th of a meter.

A micrometer is 1/1,000,000th of a meter (one-millionth of a meter)

A nanometer is 1/ 1,000,000,000th of a meter, one-billionth of a meter.

Here are examples of how small a nanometer can be –

one inch is about 25.4 million nanometers

a single water molecule is about 1.5 nanometers

a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick

a human hair measures about 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers in diameter

a strand of human DNA is 2.5 nanometers in diameter

A nanometer is used to measure tiny things. For example, the smallest part of any material is the atom. This atom is measured in nanometers.

History of Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology has been around since the fourth century. However, the craftsmen who used such techniques did not know about the concept of nanotechnology in scientific terms.

But what they did to create artifacts was similar to the nanotechnology we know today.

Lycurgus Cup

Lycurgus Cup

Examples of Nanotechnology in Ancient Times

Nanotechnology has been used from ancient times and dates back to the fourth century, during which the Romans made the Lycurgus Cup. The following are examples of the use of nanotechnology in ancient times.

Lycurgus Cup

The Lycurgus Cup, made in the 4th century in Rome, appeared to be of two different colors depending upon the angle of the light rays.

The Lycurgus Cup seemed green when lit outside and red when lit from the inside. The glassmakers in those days achieved this effect by using colloidal gold and silver nanoparticles.

South Rose Window of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

South Rose Window of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Stained Glass Windows

Another example of nanotechnology in ancient times is the vibrantly stained glass windows used in the cathedrals of Europe.

The stained glasses used in the cathedrals' construction had rich, vibrant colors that were achieved by using nanoparticles of gold, metal oxides, and other chlorides.

The south rose window of Notre Dame Cathedral is an example of such an effect.

Early Stages of Nanotechnology

In 1981, Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM’s Zurich Lab invented the Scanning Tunneling Microscope.

Using the Scanning Tunnelling Microscope, scientists could work at the atomic level of any material. As a result, scientists could manipulate the material's atoms and develop new materials with better properties than the original material.

In 1986, Gerd Binnig, Calvin Quate, and Christopher Gerber invented the atomic force microscope. Scientists could view, measure and rearrange atoms to fractions of nanometers using the atomic force microscope.

In 1989, Don Eigler and Erhard Schweizer at IBM's Almaden Research Center worked with 35 individual Xenon atoms to spell out the IBM logo. The creation of the IBM logo proved that atoms could be manipulated precisely.

Notice the change in color as the size changes

Notice the change in color as the size changes

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Change in color of gold with the change in size

With the advance in the field of microscopy, powerful microscopes were invented that helped scientists to manipulate materials at the nanoscale.