In the evolution of nanotechnology, manufactured nanomaterials are an important step toward a long-term vision of building objects atom-by-atom and molecule-by-molecule with processes such as self-assembly or molecular assemblers. Innovations in analytical and imaging technologies first paved the way for perceiving, measuring, and manipulating nanoscale objects, typically defined as those having a characteristic dimension <100 nm. The ability to design materials at the nanoscale is now leading to the rapid development of an industry that provides nanomaterials for a range of industrial and consumer products. Commercial applications of nanomaterials currently
available or soon to appear include nanoengineered titania particles for sunscreens and paints; fullerene nanotube composites in tires, tennis rackets, and video screens; fullerene cages in cosmetics; silica nanoparticles as solid lubricants; metal nanoparticles for groundwater remediation; and protein-based nanomaterials in soaps, shampoos, and detergents. In the environmental technology industry alone,
nanotechnologies hold great promise for reducing the production of wastes, using resources more sparingly, cleaning up industrial contamination, providing potable water, and improving the efficiency of
energy production and use.
