The Risk Governance of Nanotechnology: Recommendations for Managing a Global Issue

Read the 6-7 July 2006 conference report: “The Risk Governance of Nanotechnology: Recommendations for Managing a Global Issue” (link to PDF) held at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue last summer.

This meeting is the highest profile meeting to include consideration of longer-term risks in nanotech.

Excerpt from the report (link to PDF) :

"Military offence applications are particularly concerning because, unlike nuclear arms, verification difficulties mean there is no clear point at which opponents reach stability in the process of escalation and proliferation. Existing arms treaties may not apply to nanotechnology-based weapons, and there are important intellectual property, commercial confidentiality, and national security issues involved in addressing this challenge…"

Defense Nanotechnology Research and Development Program

The potential role of nanotechnology for defense and military applications was assessed in unclassified format in a recent report issued by the Director, Defense Research and Engineering.

See "Defense Nanotechnology Research and Development Program," April 27, 2007

Nano, MEMS are advancing energy harvesting technology

Using nanotechnology and MEMS technology in energy harvesting applications is a work in progress that nevertheless shows huge potential, experts said.

Progress was in evidence at this week's Sensors Expo here, including a session on using nanotechnology and MEMS in energy harvesting applications. Panelists said companies like EaglePicher, Tadiran and Varta are capitalizing on existing lithium technologies to offer micro batteries for energy harvesting applications.

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NASA Nanotechnology Space Sensor Test Successful In Orbit

NASA recently tested the first nanotechnology-based electronic device to fly in space. The test showed that the "nanosensor" could monitor trace gases inside a spaceship. This technology could lead to smaller, more capable environmental monitors and smoke detectors in future crew habitats.

NASA's Nano ChemSensor Unit hitched a ride to Earth orbit on March 9, 2007, as a secondary payload experiment on the U.S. Naval Academy's MidSTAR-1 satellite. The sensor test was powered on May 24.

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UK publishes report on environmental benefits of nanotechnology

(Nanowerk News) The "Environmentally Beneficial Nanotechnologies: Barriers and Opportunities" (pdf download, 748 KB), a new report by the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), was published today.

Under this study, five nanotechnological applications were subject to detailed investigation: fuel additives, photovoltaics (solar cells), the hydrogen economy, electricity storage and insulation. In these areas nanotechnology could contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 2 % in the near term and up to 20 % by 2050 with similar reductions in air pollution being realised.

Overview of the report’s investigations into the nanotechnology focus areas:

Fuel additives: Nanoparticle additives have been shown to increase the fuel efficiency of diesel engines by approximately 5% which could result in a saving of 2-3 million tonnes of CO2 in the UK. This could be implemented immediately across the UK diesel powered fleet. However, this must be tempered by concerns about the health impact of free nanoparticles in diesel exhaust gases. Recommendations include: Comprehensive toxicological testing and subsidised independent performance tests to validate environmental benefit.

Solar cells: The high prices of solar cells are inhibiting their installation into distributed power generation, reducing energy generation from renewables. Nanotechnology may deliver more benefits in significantly decreasing the cost of production of solar cells. Conservatively, if a distributed solar generation grid met 1% of our electricity demand, approximately 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 per annum could be saved. The major barrier to this technology is the incorporation of the nanotechnology into the solar cell, not the nanotechnology itself. The UK is one of the world leaders in understanding the fundamental physics of solar cells, but we lack the skills that allow us to transfer our science base into workable prototypes. Recommendations include: Develop programs and facilities for taking fundamental research through to early stage prototypes where established mechanisms can be employed to commercialise new technologies. Set up a centre of excellence in photovoltaics which allows cross fertilisation of ideas from different scientific disciplines.

The hydrogen economy: Hydrogen powered vehicles could eliminate all noxious emissions from road transport, which would improve public health. If the hydrogen is generated via renewable means or using carbon capture and storage, all CO2 emissions from transport could be eliminated (132 million tonnes). Using current methods of hydrogen generation, significant savings in carbon dioxide (79 Mte) can be made. The technology is estimated to be 40 years away from universal deployment. The UK is becoming one of the front runners in this area. Although we do not have a substantial automotive R&D base, the international nature of these companies will allow ready integration of UK innovation into transport. Recommendations include: The use of public procurement to fund hydrogen powered buses in major cities to create a market and infrastructure for hydrogen powered transport. Continue to fund large demonstration projects and continue R&D support.

Batteries and supercapacitors: Recent advances in battery technology have made the range and power of electric vehicles more practical. Issues still surround the charge time. Nanotechnology may provide a remedy to this problem allowing electric vehicles to be recharged in less than ten minutes, which is comparable to the refuelling time of current cars. If low carbon electricity generation techniques are used, CO2 from private transport could be eliminated (64 Mte) or, using the current energy mix, savings of 42 Mte of carbon dioxide could be made. Without nanotechnology, electric vehicles are likely to remain niche due to the issues of charge time. Significant infrastructural investment will be required to develop recharging stations throughout the UK. Recommendations include: Fast track schemes for commercialisation and cultivate links with automotive multinationals.

Insulation: Cavity and loft insulation are cheap and effective, however, there are no easy methods for insulating solid walled buildings, which currently make up approximately one third of the UK’s housing stock. Nanotechnology may provide a solution which, if an effective insulation could be found with similar properties to standard cavity insulation, could result in emission reductions equivalent to 3 Mte per year. Ultra thin films on windows to reduce heat loss already exist on the market. Recommendations include: Fund a DTI technology program call on novel insulation material for solid walled buildings and retrofit government offices with highly insulating nanotechnology based windows.

An appendix to the report can be downloaded here (pdf, 638 KB).
Source: Defra

Propellers for Microrobots

Researchers have developed a novel form of propulsion for microrobots that mimics the way bacteria zip about using corkscrew-like appendages called flagella.

Tests show that the tiny rotating nanocoils--just 27 nanometers thick and 40 micrometers long--are capable of spinning at 60 revolutions per minute and that it is possible to propel an object at nearly 5 micrometers per second.

Such propulsion could be used as part of smart drug delivery systems, which are steered through the bloodstream directly to their target, says Bradley Nelson, a professor of robotics and intelligent systems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, in Zurich, who led the research. And in the long term, the nanopropellers could be used to propel autonomous biomedical microrobots, he suggests.

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Researchers see nanotechnology treatment for spinal cord injuries

Nanotechnology is showing promise in treating spinal cord injuries and could conceivably reverse paralysis, according to a report on the future of the emerging technology in medicine.

The report, released at a Washington forum this week, said nanotechnology -- or the use of materials on the scale of atoms and molecules -- may also help cure other ailments believed to be intractable by repairing damaged organs or tissue.

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Nanotechnology used to treat spinal cord injuries

Paralyzed lab mice with spinal cord injuries have regained the ability to walk after being injected with a nanomaterial, a scientific conference heard Monday.

The research raises hope that nanotechnology might be used in treating degenerative illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, according to Samuel Stupp, a Northwestern University professor who presented his findings at a session hosted by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies in Washington.

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Nano-nose sniffs out sickness

A set of gold nanoparticles with various coatings can identify proteins by mimicking the way the human nose distinguishes scents. US researchers are using them to detect signs of illness in bodily fluids.

"In your nose there are a variety of receptors that all react in slightly different ways to compounds," says Vince Rotello from the University of Massachusetts, US. Instead of having a specific sensor for each smell, the nose responds to the pattern of responses produced by multiple, generalised receptors.

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Forget PCs: Computing Comes Alive

THEY call them "genesis machines": computers that come to life when you switch them on. Instead of silicon chips, they are built with DNA. Rather than electricity, they feed off nutrients, performing calculations by synthesising new DNA strands. In a matter of hours, they can solve mathematical problems that would take your PC centuries.

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How to Make an Object Invisible

A new theoretical design using nanowires provides a way to hide devices from visible light.

A hairbrush-shaped device has been theoretically designed that would use bristles made out of nanowires to bend light around it, rendering the object invisible. The researchers who came up with the design say that it's the first practical design for an "optical cloak" to work in the visible spectrum. They are now working on building an actual device based on their calculations.



Although still only a theoretical design, it is the first to show how a recently discovered cloaking effect could be made to work for all wavelengths of visible light, says Vladimir Shalaev, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, IN, who led the research effort.

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Cheap Nano Solar Cells

Researchers at University of Notre Dame, in Indiana, have demonstrated a way to significantly improve the efficiency of solar cells made using low-cost, readily available materials, including a chemical commonly used in paints.

The researchers added single-walled carbon nanotubes to a film made of titanium-dioxide nanoparticles, doubling the efficiency of converting ultraviolet light into electrons when compared with the performance of the nanoparticles alone. The solar cells could be used to make hydrogen for fuel cells directly from water or for producing electricity. Titanium oxide is a main ingredient in white paint.

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Atomic Design of Superstrong Materials

Researchers have learned how to design the nanoscale features of materials to make them four times stronger without making them brittle. The new insight is the result of a significant improvement to an existing computer model that allowed researchers to, for the first time, simulate the complex mechanical behavior of nanostructures in metals.

The work, described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by researchers at MIT, Ohio State, and the Georgia Institute of Technology, could lead to more-durable materials for gears in microscale machines. It could also lead to coatings that dramatically improve the performance of larger-scale structures, such as metal plating on artificial joints, says Subra Suresh, professor of materials science and engineering at MIT.

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Nanotechnology to protect from earthquakes

Two separate efforts using high-tech to protect people from earthquakes have been recently revealed. At the University of Leeds, UK, researchers will use nanotechnology and RFID tags to build a 'self-healing' house in Greece. The house walls will contain nanoparticles that turn into a liquid when squeezed under pressure, flow into cracks, and then harden to form a solid material. They also will host a network of wireless sensors and RFID tags which can alert the residents of an imminent earthquake. Meanwhile, another team at the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) will use a wireless sensor network to limit earthquake damages.

Nanotechnology — the science of the very small — could drive the future of ISR technology

Someday the paint on your wall may spy on you. It sounds like a conspiracy theory, a tinfoil-hat delusion complete with CIA spooks and inquisitive aliens. But in the world of nanotechnology, incredibly tiny sensors embedded in paint are a possibility.

'Self-healing' House: Building-in Earthquake Resistance?

Science Daily — A high-tech villa designed to resist earthquakes by 'self-healing' cracks in its own walls and monitoring vibrations through an intelligent sensor network will be built on a Greek mountainside.

Engineers Create 'Optical Cloaking' Design For Invisibility

Science Daily — Researchers using nanotechnology have taken a step toward creating an "optical cloaking" device that could render objects invisible by guiding light around anything placed inside this "cloak."