Title : Introducing picotechnology: An exciting extension of nanotechnology
Abstract:
Nanotechnology, or the control of matter at the atomic scale, has changed material science as we know it. Nanotechnology was once thought of as science fiction when over 23 years ago, the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative was announced by President Clinton. Since then nanotechnology has resulted in $42 billion in new product revenue in 2017 alone and has generated over 50 products approved by the FDA, including recent COVID vaccines. Picotechnology is a natural extension of nanotechnology and is defined as the control of matter at the picometer scale (10-12 m or one trillionth of a meter). This is the size scale of sub-atomic units, such as electrons, protons and neutrons – the building blocks of atoms which dictate the type of element on the periodic table, their reactivity, atomic properties, and what type of bonds (if any) they form with other atoms. Changes in sub-atomic events, such as the number of electrons in the outer orbital of an atom, are critical for how elements bond to one another and, thus, govern all material properties (including mechanical, catalytic, surface, electrical, magnetic, piezoelectric, biological, and more). Research in picotechnology has received a boost recently due to the Nobel Prize in Physics awarded for the discovery of how to visualize sub-atomic particles. This invited talk will present for the first time the field of picotechnology providing highlights of how picotechnology is destined to revolutionizing material science.
Audience Take Away Notes:
- What picotechnology is
- How the control of sub-atomic particles changes material properties
- How real commercial products can be developed out of picotechnology
