Society has much to appreciate in the advancements of nanoscience. From enhancing health monitoring systems to reducing the size of electronic devices, the ability of scientists to explore and understand chemistry at the nanoscale has unlocked numerous benefits. Today, various nanotechnologies are transitioning from research labs to commercial markets, paving the way for what is predicted to become a multi-billion-dollar industry in the coming decades.
An article published in the journal Nano Letters earlier this year speculates on what the next 25 years of nanoscience might entail. Among the pressing issues, environmental, health, and technological challenges are expected to significantly influence the field, driving nanoscience forward.
Revolutionizing Health and Environmental Solutions
Nanoparticles have dominated nanotechnology research, particularly in drug delivery systems. Katsuhiko Ariga from the University of Tokyo explains that our bodies naturally release molecules like neurotransmitters in response to signals, and nanoscience aims to replicate this process. “Intelligent release of drugs – by constructing controlled nanostructures – is the goal going forward,” he states. Such systems might include nanobots and other active materials that respond to stimuli such as chemical gradients, magnetic fields, or sound waves, and can differentiate between cell types for targeted drug delivery.
However, Teri Odom from Northwestern University, who led the Nano Letters article, notes, “There are still significant challenges for nanomedicine, especially related to therapeutics. For example, there is still not yet an actively targeted nanoconstruct that has been FDA approved.”
Beyond nanomedicine, nanotechnology holds promise for health monitoring through improved wearable electronics and sensors, like those in modern smartwatches. The challenge lies in creating materials that balance electronic and mechanical performance, but overcoming this could lead to enhanced sensing capabilities and better integration with the human body.
Odom also highlights, “One area that I think will become increasingly important is the impact of nanotechnology on the environment.” While discussions have focused on the risks of nanoscience, its potential environmental benefits are substantial. Membranes with angstrom-sized nanochannels could aid in desalinating seawater or reclaiming precious metals from industrial waste. Nanoscale catalysts might convert pollutants into usable products, contributing to a circular economy of commodity chemicals. However, manufacturing these membranes and catalysts on an industrial scale remains a challenge due to the need for atomic-level precision in macroscale structures.
Next-Generation Technology: AI and Energy
Andrea Ferrari, director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre in the UK, emphasizes the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the future of nanotechnology. Developing new nanomaterials is traditionally time-consuming, but AI and computational methods could accelerate the discovery of novel and unexpected materials.
“AI data centres also require a vast amount of energy, so we also need new materials to meet the demands of such centres,” Ferrari explains. Strategies to increase energy generation may lead to advancements in perovskite photovoltaic cells and commercially viable solar-powered fuels.
Douglas Natelson, a nanoscientist at Rice University, adds, “Nanomaterials are very much being looked at to expand the capacities of different battery technologies.” Novel nanomaterials for battery electrodes and supercapacitors could result in higher interface surface areas, enhancing energy storage capabilities necessary for transitioning to renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
Quantum Computing and Nanoscience
The next generation of computing is likely to be driven by quantum technology, capable of solving problems that conventional computers cannot. Chemists are particularly interested in quantum computing for its potential in chemical modeling and solving complex problems, such as nitrogen fixation by the nitrogenase enzyme. Currently, quantum computing is limited to arrays of around 1000 qubits operating at ultralow temperatures. Reducing qubits’ size and error rate, and integrating them into existing technology, will require advancements across all areas of nanoscience.
Ariga believes that efforts to create materials exhibiting quantum phenomena at the macroscopic level will need to intensify, building on the quantum properties of zero-dimensional quantum dots and one-dimensional carbon nanowires.
Connecting the nanoscale world to the macroscopic is becoming feasible by layering 2D materials held together with van der Waals forces, either mechanically or through chemical vapor deposition. These methods allow for precise engineering of electronic structures by varying layer order, twist angles, and defect types.
Natelson notes, “There’s a lot of fundamental work that still needs to be done on just understanding these 2D materials and growing them at scale.” Advances in microscopic techniques will provide better resolution of atomic positions below a sub-angstrom scale. Detectors capable of capturing a range of events, from chemical reactions to quantum effects, in milli to picoseconds using sub-watt power supplies could enable real-time monitoring of in-situ experiments. Machine learning and AI may further aid data analysis and automate the characterization of new materials.
Regulating a Growing Field
Since nanoscience emerged several decades ago, policymakers have developed ethical and safety standards alongside scientific advancements. “The safety recommendations you would make for a block of something is different to the same 1kg of stuff ground up into 10nm particles,” says Natelson, highlighting that nanoparticles interact with the environment differently from standard chemicals.
Yet, it is estimated that fewer than 20% of nanomaterials on the market comply with current international guidelines on exposure and toxicity testing protocols, limiting their effectiveness in evaluating materials’ effects on health and the environment. The variability in size, shape, and surface chemistry of nanomaterials complicates standardizing safety assessments, even when using standard synthetic procedures.
Natelson emphasizes, “One of the real goals is to be able to efficiently and accurately assess concerns – you don’t want it to take 30 years to figure out what the impacts [of a nanomaterial] are.” Developing standardized, high-throughput structure-toxicity assays with shorter turnaround times would increase the proportion of nanomaterials tested efficiently.
Odom concludes, “There’s no shortage of technical challenges that we face in the world and nanotechnology is not going to solve all of them … but I think that there are certain aspects where nanoscience is certainly going to be important.” She acknowledges that many important outcomes benefiting human health and society, such as mRNA vaccines, quantum-dot displays, and advanced battery electrode materials, are due to nanoscience. Odom believes that chemists will continue to play a crucial role in advancing discoveries but recognizes that significant breakthroughs will require collaboration across multiple disciplines.
