technologies might sound like
a thing of the far future, multibillion healthcare firms such as
GlaxoSmithKline are already
working on ways to develop socalled “electroceuticals”.
2. Sensors, sensors,
everywhere
These sensors rely on newlyinvented nanomaterials and
manufacturing techniques
to make them smaller, more
complex and more energy
efficient. For example, sensors
with very fine features can now
be printed in large quantities
on flexible rolls of plastic at
low cost. This opens up the
possibility of placing sensors
at lots of points over critical
infrastructure to constantly
check that everything is running
correctly. Bridges, aircraft and
even nuclear power plants could
benefit.
3. Self-healing structures
If cracks do appear then
nanotechnology could play
a further role. Changing the
structure of materials at the
nanoscale can give them some
amazing properties – by giving
them a texture that repels
water, for example. In the future,
nanotechnology coatings or
additives will even have the
potential to allow materials
to “heal” when damaged or
worn. For example, dispersing
nanoparticles throughout a
material means that they can
migrate to fill in any cracks that
appear. This could produce selfhealing materials for everything
from aircraf t cockpits to
microelectronics, preventing
small fractures from turning into
large, more problematic cracks.
4. Making big data
possible
All these sensors will produce
more information than we’ve
ever had to deal with before
– so we’ll need the technology
to process it and spot the
patterns that will alert us to
problems. The same will be
true if we want to use the “big
data” from traffic sensors to
help manage congestion and
prevent accidents, or prevent
crime by using statistics to
more effectively allocate police
resources.
Here, nanotechnology is
helping to create ultra-dense
memory that will allow us to
store this wealth of data. But
it’s also providing the inspiration
for ultra-efficient algorithms
for processing, encrypting and
communicating data without
compromising its reliability.
Nature has several examples of
big-data processes efficiently
being performed in real-time
by tiny structures, such as the
parts of the eye and ear that turn
external signals into information
for the brain.
Computer architectures
inspired by the brain could also
use energy more efficiently
and so would struggle less
with excess heat – one of the
key problems with shrinking
electronic devices further.
5. Tackling climate change
The fight against climate change
means we need new ways to
generate and use electricity,
and nanotechnology is already
playing a role. It has helped
create batteries that can store
more energy for electric cars
and has enabled solar panels
to convert more sunlight into
electricity.
The c ommon trick in
both applications is to use
nanotexturing or nanomaterials
(for example nanowires or
carbon nanotubes) that turn
a flat surface into a threedimensional one with a much
greater surface area. This
means that there is more space
for the reactions that enable
energy storage or generation
to take place, so the devices
operate more efficiently.
In the future, nanotechnology
could also enable objects
to harvest energy from their
environment . New nano materials and concepts are
currently being developed that
show potential for producing
energy from movement, light,
variations in temperature,
glucose and other sources with
high conversion efficiency.
43