IT IS IN OUR OWN HANDS

Science fiction is becoming reality right before our eyes.  People have begun to assemble devices and mechanisms of extremely small size, invisible to the naked eye, using individual atoms as their construction material and a whole new branch of human knowledge, nanotechnology (NNT) (from the Greek nanos - "dwarf", techno - "art" and logos - "teaching, knowledge").  This science has absorbed the latest achievements of physics, chemistry and biology.  Researchers in nanotechnology work with extremely small objects whose sizes are measured in nanometres.  Nanotechnology is not merely a quantitative, but a qualitative leap, from working with substances to the manipulation of individual atoms.  In Greek, "nanos" means dwarf.  One nanometre is one billionth of a metre (10-9 metres).  The size of the objects with which nanotechnologists operate lies between 0.1 and 100 nanometres.  The majority of atoms have diameters of 0.1 to 0.2 nanometres, and the thickness of a strand of DNA is about 2 nm.  The diameter of red blood cells is about 7,000 nm and the thickness of a human hair - about 80,000 nm.  A nanometre is a very, very small distance.  It is as small relative to 1 metre as our finger is relative to the diameter of the Earth.  At micro-level, phenomena which are negligible on usual scales become much more important and unpredictable:  the qualities and interactions of individual atoms and molecules (or groups of molecules) and quantum effects acquire entirely different dimensions.  The employment of NNT makes it possible to artificially associate nano-particles with individual characteristics and form micro- and macro-objects, in which new qualities and types of interactions between individual atoms and molecules play a decisive role, determining the properties of the resulting substance or object.

Where it all started

Aeroplanes, rockets, television and computers changed the world in the 20th century.  Scientists say that in the 21st century, the core of the new technological revolution will be formed by materials, medicines, devices and communications technologies which employ nanotechnologies.  The idea that it is quite possible to assemble devices and work with objects of nano-size was first voiced by Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman in his speech at the Caltech in 1959 ("Plenty of room at the bottom").  The word "bottom" in the title of his lecture meant the world of very small dimensions.  Back then, Feynman said that, at some point, for example in 2000, people would be surprised that until 1960, no one had talked seriously about research into the nano-world.  Feynman said that humans had lived for a very long time without noticing that a whole world of objects which people could not see coexisted with them.  And because we could not see these objects, we could not work with them, either.

Nonetheless, we consist of devices which have learned to work very well with nano-objects.  These are our cells - the tiny bricks which make up our bodies.  These cells operate with nano-objects all their lives, assembling complex molecules from different atoms.  After the molecules are assembled, the cell places them in different areas:  some molecules are moved to the nucleus, others to the cytoplasm and still others go to the cellular membrane.  Imagine the possibilities which will be opened up to mankind if we master the same nanotechnologies which are already available to every human cell.

By inviting scientists into nano-world, Feynman immediately warned of the obstacles which lie in wait there, citing the example of manufacturing a micro-car only 1 mm long.  Because the parts of an ordinary car are accurate to 10-5 m, the parts for a micro-car must be manufactured to a precision 4,000 times greater, that is, 2.5x10-9 m.  So the dimensions of the parts of a micro-car must be accurate to the order of plus or minus 10 layers of atoms.

Nano-world offers not only obstacles and problems.  Good news also awaits us there:  everything there is very strong.  This is because the weight of nano-objects decreases proportionately to the third degree of their dimensions, and their cross-sectional area decreases proportionately to the square of their dimension.  This means that the mechanical pressure on every component in an object - the ratio of the weight of the component to its cross-sectional area - decreases proportionately to the dimensions of the object.  In this way, a proportionately reduced nano-table has legs which are 1 billion times thicker than required.

Of course, as dimensions decrease, we will constantly encounter very unusual physical phenomena.  The negligible weight of nano-parts will make them stick because of intermolecular interactive forces and a nut, for example,  will not separate from a bolt, even when it is unscrewed.  However, the laws of physics allow us to create objects "atom by atom."  The manipulation of atoms, in principle, is quite realistic and does not violate any laws of nature.  The practical difficulties of implementation stem only from the fact that we are ourselves are too large and clumsy, which makes it hard to carry out such manipulations.

Nanotechnologies have become an independent branch of science and were transformed into a long-term technology project after detailed analysis conducted by US scientist Eric Drexler in the early 1980s and the publication of his book "Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology".  His book begins with descriptions.  In Drexler's definition, nanotechnology is an "anticipated manufacturing technology which aims to produce devices and substances cheaply and to preset specifications of atomic structure."  Many specialists believe that during the next 50 years, many devices will become so small that 1,000 of them will easily fit into the full-stop at the end of this sentence.

Nanoparticles and their self-organization

It turned out that nano-particles of some materials have good catalytic and absorbent properties.  Other materials demonstrate amazing optical qualities, for example, super-thin films of organic materials are used to manufacture solar-power batteries.  These batteries, although they have relatively poor quantum efficiency, are cheaper and can be mechanically flexible.  The interaction of artificial nano-particles with natural nano-sized objects - proteins, nucleic acids and other molecules - has been achieved.  Purified nano-particles can self-organize into orderly patterns.  These structures contain regularly arranged nano-particles and also often demonstrate unusual qualities.

Nano-objects are divided into three main classes:  three-dimensional particles, which are created by controlled explosions of conductors, plasma synthesis, the reduction of films and so forth; two-dimensional objects - films created using a method of molecular layering, CVD [chemical vapour deposition), ALD (atomic layer deposition), ionic layering and so forth; one-dimensional objects - whiskers, these objects are obtained using the technology of molecular layering, the introduction of substances into cylindrical micro-pores and so forth.  There are also nano-composites - materials which are obtained by introducing nano-particles into different types of matrices.  At present, microlithography, which makes it possible to generate flat islets on the surface of matrices sized 50 nm and more, is used in electronics; the CVD and ALD methods are mainly used to create microscopic films.  Other methods are mainly used for scientific purposes.  The ionic and molecular layer deposition methods merit special mention because they make it possible to create real single layers.

One of the most important issues facing nanotechnologies is forcing the molecules to group in specific ways, to self-organize to produce new materials or devices.  A branch of chemistry - supramolecular chemistry - studies this.  It studies not individual molecules, but interactions between molecules which are capable of organizing molecules in a specific manner to create new substances and materials.  Hope springs from the fact that these types of systems and processes occur naturally.  For example, there are biological polymers capable of organizing into special structures.  One example is proteins, which can not only fold themselves into globular shapes, but also create complexes - systems which include several molecules of proteins.  There is already a method of synthesis today which employs the specific properties of the DNA molecule.

And what about Azerbaijan?

Attempts to employ NNT in production were made by the State Oil Company (SOCAR) in cooperation with the Azerbaijan State University.  A nano-substance was used in the process of oil extraction.  Azerbaijani scientist Hasan Qasimov, who has employed nanotechnologies in Azerbaijan, said that, overall, progress in this sphere can be divided into three phases:  the first includes people and companies who develop nano-substances and nano-capsules.  They have equipment, they carry out experiments.  They create nano-capsules for different substances - gaseous, crystalline, liquid.  The second phase includes companies which take orders to manufacture nano-capsules for specific purposes and to the customer's specifications.  The third phase is receiving a readymade nano-capsule and using it for different purposes.  For example, the Germans have created a nano-capsule of silver which kills bacteria.  The Turks, for their part, bought the rights to use these nano-capsules in the manufacture of disinfectants.

Today, the pharmaceutical company BioOil, which is headed by Hasan Qasimov and which manufactures naphthalan-based cosmetics using nanotechnologies, has merged the second and third phases of development in this field in its operations.  "After all, the technology to produce the nano-capsule was known to us as early as 30 years ago.  For example, scientists have long known how kerosene can be transformed into solid fuel for missiles.  We have the equipment to transform naphthalan oil into a nano-capsule.  And we have managed to employ these technologies not only in Azerbaijan.  At the same time, I can say that we are among the first pharmaceutical companies to use these technologies in cosmetics, the manufacture of hygienic products and pharmaceuticals.  NNT is used practically everywhere, beginning with construction and ending with watering vineyards, extracting oil and gas and developing weapons," the scientist stressed.

However, the press often disseminates the opinion that nano-particles are much ado about nothing.  In other words, reports say that there are no nano-particles in cosmetics, thinking that it would be very expensive and unprofitable.  A new term was coined - cosmoceuticals, and manufacturers of medicines want to switch their production processes to the new level of operation.  This would simplify the registration of products.  For example, in Russia and European countries, the following trend has become marked:  time and money are not wasted on testing individual products which are supplied by the manufacturer and responsibility for quality and safety is shifted to the manufacturer.  In this situation, if complaints are made about the product, it is tested and if irregularities are found, measures are taken to punish the manufacturer.  This mechanism operates well in Georgia.  "And to sell the products made by the BioOil company, the appropriate structures were satisfied when we supplied registration certificates for the Naphthalan Oil and Naphthalan Ointment products issued by the Azerbaijani and Ukrainian health ministries.  As the developer of these products, I am not responsible for the work of the manufacturer, but because I am the manufacturer of the final product, I am fully responsible for the final product.  And this again forces me to be attentive and responsible.  In my capacity as both developer and manufacturer of the product, I say with full responsibility:  the nano-capsule of naphthalan does exist, and the registration certificate from the European Union proves it."