Nanotechnology Research Directions: IWGN Workshop Report
Iwgn Workshop (1999)
- 31 maart 2000
- 9780792362203
Samenvatting:
Dr. Neal Lane, Advisor to the President for Science and Technology and former National Science Foundation (NSF) director, stated at a Congressional hearing in April 1998, "If I were asked for an area of science and engineering that will most likely produce the breakthroughs of tomorrow, I would point to nanoscale science and engineering.
Breakthroughs and prospects for future developments in a wide variety of fields and applications of science and technology related to nanotechnology are documented here. They all involve the control of matter on the nanometer-length scale, that is, at the level of atoms, molecules, and supramolecular structures. As the 21st century unfolds, nanotechnology's impact on the health, wealth, and security of the world's people is expected to be at least as significant as the combined influences in this century of antibiotics, the integrated circuit, and human-made polymers. The book covers fundamental scientific issues for nanotechnology and reviews progress in the development of the necessary tools for nanotechnology research and applications (theory, modelling and simulation, experimental methods, and instruments such as scanning probe microscopes). It also surveys a wide variety of current and potential application areas of nanotechnology, including: dispersions, coatings, and large surface area structures; nanodevices, nanoelectronics, and nanosensors; materials science and applications of bulk nanostructured materials with novel properties; biology, medicine, and healthcare; and energy, chemicals, and environmental science. The book incorporates the views of leading experts from U.S. government, academia, and the private sector. It reflects the consensus reached at a workshop held in January 1999, and detailed in contributions submitted thereafter by members of the U.S. science and engineering community. It describes challenges that are posed and opportunities that are offered by nanotechnology and outlines the steps that must be taken in order for humanity to benefit from the advances that are envisioned. This emphasizes three crucial areas: developing a balanced research and development infrastructure, advancing critical research areas, and nurturing the scientific and technical workforce of the next century.