Nanotechnology and Rice University

Before you can understand nanotechnology, you must first understand nano.  Nano, derived from the Greek word nanos meaning dwarf, is a prefix in the SI measurement system meaning 10^-9 or one billionth.  Here are a few interesting metrics to put nano in perspective …

Distance

• A DNA coil is 1 nanometer in diameter.
• If you were 1 nanometer tall, the earth would be the size of a green pea.

Time

• A hummingbird flaps its wings 50 times a second.  Therefore it takes 20,000,000 nanoseconds for a hummingbird to flap its wings once.
• There are one billion nanoseconds in one second.  There are one billion seconds in 11,574 days (approximately 31 years 8 months 12 days).

Volume

• A drop of water is approximately 50,000 nanoliters.
• There are one billion nanoliters in one liter (about one quart).  One billion cans of soda would fill 120 Olympic size swimming pools.

Mass/Weight

• A grain of table salt weighs approximately 50,000 nanograms.
• There are one billion nanograms in one gram (about the weight of 1 paperclip).  One billion $1 bills weigh 1,100 tons: that’s the weight of 220 adult male Afican elephants.

Now that you have an idea of nanoscale dimensions, nanotechnology is quite simply the application of knowledge at the nanoscale.  Here are some more specific definitions …

• Merriam-Webster Dictionary – “The art of manipulating materials on an atomic or molecular scale especially to build microscopic devices.”
• Los Alamos National Laboratories – “the creation of functional materials, devices, and systems through control of matter on the nanometer (1 to 100+ nm) length scale and the exploitation of novel properties and phenomena developed at that scale.”
• National Nanotechnology Initiative – “Research and technology development at the atomic, molecular or macromolecular levels, in the length scale of approximately 1 - 100 nanometer range, to provide a fundamental understanding of phenomena and materials at the nanoscale and to create and use structures, devices and systems that have novel properties and functions because of their small and/or intermediate size. The novel and differentiating properties and functions are developed at a critical length scale of matter typically under 100 nm.”

No matter the definition, everyone agrees that nanotechnology is a highly diverse and multidisciplinary scientific field.  For that reason, the Smalley Institute at Rice University has an intellectually diverse membership including 151 faculty/staff members in 21 departments with over 500 graduate students researching nanotechnology in a variety of sociological and scientific arenas including energy, education, aerospace, ethics, and human health.

As the Smalley Institute matured over the last 15 years, the vision of the Institute evolved into leading the world in solving humanity’s most pressing problems through the application of nanotechnology.  As Professor Richard E. Smalley so aptly put it, “Rice’s research reputation comes from solving the hardest problems in science.  Others can work on the easy ones, the applied problems.  Focus on the grand challenges, the holy grails in nanotechnology.  Don’t be distracted by the other things!”  Professor Smalley identified the Top Ten Problems Facing Humanity over the next 50 years as energy, water, food, environment, poverty, terrorism & war, disease, education, democracy, and population. 

The Smalley Institute currently focuses on 5 Grand Challenges: energy, water, environment, disease, and education.  Rice University researchers endeavor to impact each Grand Challenge through the application of nanotechnology which we categorize into eleven Nanotechnology Disciplines.

• Analytical Nanotechnology
• Nanotechnology in Biology, Health, and Medicine
• Nanotechnology enhanced Devices
• Nanotechnology Education
• Nanotechnology in Energy
• Environmental Nanotechnology
• NanoMaterial
• NanoPhotonics
• NanoPhysics
• NanoScience/NanoEngineering
• Sociological Nanotechnology

Because of the multidisciplinary nature of nanotechnology, many Smalley Institute researchers work in 3 or more of these focus areas.  We invite you to Learn More about the specific Grand Challenges and Nanotechnology Disciplines through the Smalley Institute website.