ABSTRACT
The last few decades have experienced unprecedented transformations in political, economic and social spheres of society. These revolutions are stated to be kindled from various technological developments that have taken place in the nascent field of science and technology. 1 Nanotechnology has emerged as a noteworthy interdisciplinary technology in the 21st century. It has metamorphosed several technological and industrial sectors. Additionally, it is foretoken as a significant technology that smartly amalgamates varied disciplines of physics, chemistry, biology, medicine and engineering. It is a unique platform that provides ubiquitous exemplar of the association of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and industry representatives. 2 , 3 Richard Feynman, physicist and Nobel laureate, during his lecture in 1959 challenged the scientific community to think small by stating that “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”. He was the first person who ignited the spark of interest in the mind of researchers by revolutionizing the notion of “nano”. The word “nanotechnology” was later on coined and popularized by Eric Drexler, who then stated it to be a future technology for designing and engineering materials. 4 , 5 The structure-specific privilege and properties associated with nanotechnology stem from the fact that these materials offer the feasibility of tailoring the structures at even small scale and consequently allow automation of such tasks that were earlier found to be inaccessible due to physical restrictions. It is believed that the emergent field of nanotechnology offers the potential to permeate and improve all industrial sectors and influence their development towards sustainability. The major sections that have been privileged as a consequence of nanotechnology include the manufacturing sector, nanomedicine, energy production, electronic sector, better water purification and food protection methods (Figure 10.1). 6
