Week 8: Nanotechnology and Art

Nanotechnology is a term I often heard but didn't realized what exactly it is. Through this week’s lecture Dr. Gimzewski gave us a deep explanation of nanotechnology from its history and applications. Nanotechnology has been revolutionizing the world of  art and technology for many years and it’s much more present in our lives than we are aware of it. Many of our clothes , electronic products and even food contain some elements of nanotechnology.

The silver nanoparticles can destroy the bacteria effectively so it has a variety of applications. For example, many sportwears like socks and underpants contain silver nanoparticles that have an antimicrobial effect so you can wear them for a long time without smelling bad. It can also be used in food packaging bag and other antibacterial products.

silver nanoparticles

One famous example of applications of nanotechnology in our lives is Donna Srgo. Donna surge is an Australian designer who created dresses with Morphotex fabric, an Nanotech-engineered material. This material is structured to mimic the properties of Blue morpho butterfly wings. Instead of getting its color by the pigment, this material gets its color through its internal structure alone, resulting in pure color which will never fade. It replaces the use of toxic dyes and will be better for our environment and the human health.

We have found many applications of nanotechnology in the modern society, but actually nanotechnology is not an entirely new technology emerging in recent several decades. We can also find nanoparticles in some ancient artistic works. The Lycurgus Cup from the Roman era of 400 AD appears jade green when you look at the cup in daylight and appears red if you illuminate it from inside. This mystery puzzled scientists for decades and wasn't solved until 1990. When scientists scrutinized broken fragments under a microscope and discovered that the Roman artisans used particles of silver and gold and grounded down them until they were as small as 50 nanometers in diameter. When metal such as gold and silver are broken down into nanoparticles, their optical properties change because the way in which the particle absorbs light wavelengths changes. Roman artisans are actually the nanotechnology pioneers. The mysterious beauty of The Lycurgus Cup is a perfect example of combining art and nanotechnology.

I am very surprised that we are currently exposed to a lot of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has so many great features that fascinated me and I believe it will surely bring a lot of more benefits to humans.

Citations:

1. "Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles." . N.p., Online Posting toFuture Chemistry. E-mail. <http://www.futurechemistry.com/standaard.php?id=2351>.

2. Merali, Zeeya. "This 1,600-Year-Old Goblet Shows that the Romans Were Nanotechnology Pioneers." Sep 2013. N.p., E-mail. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/This-1600-Year-Old-Goblet-Shows-that-the-Romans-Were-Nanotechnology-Pioneers-220563661.html>.

3. "Cambridge University wants to take its flexible opals to market." . N.p., Online Posting to Frogheart. E-mail. <http://www.frogheart.ca/?p=10235http://www.frogheart.ca/?p=10235>.

4. Malik Chua, Jasmin. "“Morphotex” Dress Mimics Butterfly Wing Shimmer—Without Any Dyes." . N.p., E-mail. <http://www.ecouterre.com/morphotex-dress-mimics-butterfly-wing-shimmer-without-any-dyes/>.

5. Soutter, Will. "Nanotechnology in Clothing." . N.p., E-mail. <http://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=3129>.