Nanoengineering. Учебное пособие

equal the width of a human hair. Nanoengineering concerns itself with manipulating processes that occur on the scale of 1-100 nanometers.

The general term, nanotechnology, is sometimes used to refer to common products that have improved properties due to being fortified with nanoscale materials. One example is nano-improved tooth-colored enamel, as used by dentists for fillings.* The general use of the term “nanotechnology” then differs from the more specific sciences that fall under its heading.

Nanoengineering is an interdisciplinary science that builds biochemical structures smaller than bacterium, which function like microscopic factories.* This is possible by utilizing basic biochemical processes at the atomic or molecular level. In simple terms, molecules interact through natural processes, and nanoengineering takes advantage of those processes by direct manipulation.

Nanoengineering, in its infancy, has seen some early successes with using DNA as a catalyst to self-assemble simple structures. In 2006 a Brown University research team was able to grow zinc oxide nanowires of approximately 100-200 nm in length by fusing snippets of synthetic DNA to carbon nanotubes.* DNA, nature’s manual for creating matter from the bottom up, is of particular interest in the field of nanoengineering. By assembling specific DNA code a nanoengineer can set up the conditions for the genetic code to perform tasks that result in the biochemical assembly of nanomaterials.

Comprehension check

5. Answer the questions.

1.What does Nanoengineering mean?

2.What does Nanoengineering deal with?

3.What is the role of Nanoengineering in relation to DNA?

6.Explain how you understand the italicized words and phrases in the text.

7.Give an adequate translation of the sentences marked with an asterisk.

Vocabulary development

8. Match the terms with the corresponding definitions.

11

10. Fill in the gaps with the missing words from the list.

nanotubes, intelligent, nanocomposites, macroscale, engineers, electrochemical, high-tech, nanowires, nanoscale, unique, nanotechnology

Nanoengineering is fast becoming a cross-cutting field where chemists, physicists, medical doctors, _____________, business managers, and environmentalists work together to improve society through ______________. Nanoscale materials such as nanotubes, _______________, and nanobelts have extraordinary properties and _____________ geometric features, but utilizing these properties at the _______________ and bringing these properties to the _________________are very challenging problems. Nanoscale functional materials can be used in _____________applications including magnetic devices, electronics conducting thermoplastics, anisotropic polymer

________________, surface coatings, biomaterials, sensor materials, catalysts, polymers, gels, ceramics, thin films, and membranes. Smart or _____________

materials have sensing or actuation properties such as piezo-electric or

______________transduction activities. Carbon ___________ are smart materials because their electrochemical and elastic properties are coupled.

12

11. Approve or disapprove the following statements. Begin your sentences with: “Yes, that’s right”, “No, I’m afraid that’s not so”. Give your reasons.

1.Nanoengineering is the application extension of Nanotechnology, which is a collective term for a range of new technologies that involve the manipulation of matter at small scales.

2.For the professional engineer, background in nanoscale science and engineering can be helpful in pursuing a career.

3.Nanotechnology is likely to be using in creating an invisibility cloak.

4.“Gray Goo” is a hypothetical scenario resulting from the creation of nanorobots consuming all matter on the Earth, as they self-replicated, causing an apocalypse.

Grammar Focus

12. Specify syntactic functions of Infinitives in the following sentences and translate them accordingly.

1.To produce workable EMR (extraordinary magneto resistance) nanostructure was the demand of dramatic changes in optoelectronics.

2.To form the strongest material known, nanotubes are combined, and yet they are both lightweight and transparent.

3.To explain this phenomenon, one has to study how the electrons actually travel along random paths.

4.To explain this phenomenon to people who have no idea of physical laws was rather difficult.

5.To reduce the weight of cars and spacecrafts dramatically, designers will use carbon nanotechnology more and more widely.

6.To reduce the weight of cars and spacecrafts dramatically will be the main result of their promising research they have been doing for so many years.

7.To demonstrate, what shape the electric field lines take, was one of the purposes of his presentation.

Speaking

13.Scan the text and note down the essential information. Sum up the main points of the text.

14.Explain the concepts “nanoengineering”, “nanometer”, “nanoscale material” in your own words the way you understand them.

13

world. Future materials and structures will have vastly improved properties and durability. Smart machines will control their own performance, preserve their integrity, and partially self-repair when damaged, and when they are worn out or obsolete, they will be programmed to demanufacture and be recycled into new machines.

Building without machining may be another outgrowth of nanoengineering. Nanoengineering will produce new launch vehicles, lightweight agile aircraft, and may allow the human exploration of space. Major areas of impact include future space missions that will use hybrid nanocomposites to provide a wholesale reduction in weight in space vehicle systems through material substitution, redesign, and integration; autonomous reconfigurable structures will increase speeds, reduce fuel consumption, reduce pollution, reduce noise, and provide lasting performance for aircraft; intelligent materials will provide structural health and performance monitoring to prevent degradation and failure of structures in all types of critical applications; nanocoatings, fillers, sprays, and films will provide protection from abrasion, EMI, heat, and provide artificial skins for materials.

Commercial applications of nanocomposite materials potentially include all composite material products, brake disks, turbine engine shrouds, composite bushings, brake parts, metallic composites, smart materials, biosensing, and power harvesting. New applications will emerge as our knowledge increases.

Nanoengineering is also important in fuel cells where functionalized nanotubes may store hydrogen safely for use in automobiles. Electronics, medicine, and computing are other areas where nanotechnology promises advances. Indeed, our vision of nanoengineering is to obtain nanoscale co ntrol over the synthesis of matter to build designer materials that can be used to solve the most difficult scientific and medical problems that face humanity

Comprehension

4.Look through the text and find the sentences that refer to potential applications of nanoengineering and their advances.

5.Mark each statement as T (True), F (False) or N (Not Mentioned).

1. Nanoengineering will improve standard of living throughout the world.

15

2.Smart machines will be able to be recycled into new machines.

3.The materials used to build cars will be able to resist scratches, dents, and rust.

4.One of the goals of nanoengineering is to allow human beings to explore space.

5.Humanity has to solve problems of safe use of nanotubes in medicine.

6. Divide the text into logical parts and entitle them.

Vocabulary development

7.Choose the word similar in meaning.

1.obsolete:

8. Complete the sentences.

1.The socio-economic benefit of nanoengineering will lead to … .

2.Smart machines will control … .

3.Building without machining may … . 4. Major areas of impact include … .

16

5.Commercial applications of nanocomposite materials potentially include … .

6.New applications will emerge … .

7.Electronics, medicine, and computing are other areas where … .

8.Our vision of nanoengineering is to … .

9.Translate into English.

1.Наноинженерия – инженерная деятельность человека, связанная

снаноразмерными объектами и с объектами, характеризующимися размерными рядами в десятки или единицы нанометров, создающимися методами нанотехнологий.

2.«Наноматериал» – материал, содержащий структурные элементы, геометрические размеры которых, хотя бы в одном измерении, не превышают 100 нм.

3.Интерес к наноструктурам – сверхрешеткам, квантовым ямам, нитям и точкам существенно вырос в последнее десятилетие.

4.Среди наноматериалов особое место занимают образцы, содержащие наноразмерные частицы металла и полупроводников.

5.Инженер-нанотехнолог – очень молодая профессия, которая зародилась лишь во второй половине прошлого века. Сейчас она лишь набирает свою популярность.

6.Профессионал работает с материалами на молекулярном и атомном уровне.

Word Building

10. Give derivatives from the following words and translate them.

Example: to define – definition – definable – definability – definite – definitely

Effect, able, to develop, possible, to vary, to manufacture, to improve, to compose, to equip, to manipulate, to produce, to achieve

Grammar Focus

11. Name the tense and voice in each sentence and explain their use.

1.Scientists have been studying and working with nanoparticles for cen-

turies.

2.The effectiveness of their work has been hampered by their inability to see the structure of nanoparticles.

17

3.The properties of familiar materials are being changed by manufac-

turers.

4.Nanotubes and bucky balls are composed of only carbon.

5.NEMS products are being made by a few companies.

6.Your favorite character just programmed the replicator, and whatever he or she wanted appeared.

7.Researchers are working on developing a method called molecular manufacturing.

8.Will nanoengineering have a significant impact on our day-today lives in a decade or two?

Speaking

12. Make a report on the topic “Nanoengineering and its applications”.

UNIT 2. CARBON NANOTUBES

AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION

Scientists don't know everything about carbon nanotubes (F.1.) or CNTs for short, also called buckytubes, but they do know that they are very thin lightweight hollow tubes made up of carbon atoms. A carbon nanotube is like a sheet of graphite that is rolled into a cylinder, with distinctive hexagonal latticework making up the sheet. Carbon nanotubes are extremely small; the diameter of one carbon nanotube is one nanometer, which is one ten-thousandth (1/10,000) the diameter of a human hair. Carbon nanotubes can be produced to varying lengths.

Fig. 1. Buckytube or carbon nanotube

Carbon nanotubes are classified according to their structures: singlewall nanotubes (SWNTs) have only one atomic species(carbon) and a relatively simple structure, double-wall nanotubes (DWNTs) which form a special class of nanotubes because their morphology and properties are similar

18

to those of SWNTs but they are more resistant to chemicals, and multi-wall nanotubes (MWNTs) consisting of multiple rolled layers (concentric tubes) of graphene.. The different structures have individual properties that make the nanotubes appropriate for different applications.

Because of their unique mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties, carbon nanotubes present exciting opportunities for scientific research and industrial and commercial applications. There is much potential for CNTs in the composites industry.

In actuality, however, carbon nanotubes were discovered long ago, but were not fully appreciated at that time. In the late 1950s, Roger Bacon at Union Carbide, found a strange new carbon fibre while studying carbon under conditions near its triple point. He observed straight, hollow tubes of carbon that appeared to consist in graphitic layers of carbon separated by the same spacing as the planar layers of graphite.

In the 1970s, Morinobu Endo observed these tubes again, produced by a gas-phase process. Indeed, he even observed some tubes consisting in only a single layer of rolled-up graphite.

In 1991, after the discovery and verification of the fullerenes, Sumio Iijima of NEC observed multiwall nanotubes formed in a carbon arc discharge, and two years later, he and Donald Bethune at IBM independently observed single-wall nanotubes – buckytubes. These pure carbon polymers could now be understood in the context of fullerenes, changing the perception of them to molecules, with all that special designation implies. Nanotubes had been fullerenized.

Carbon nanotubes have a number of valuable and unique properties, including: high thermal and electrical conductivity, optical properties, flexibility, increased stiffness, high tensile strength (100 times stronger than steel per unit of weight), light weight, range of electro-conductivity and etc. When applied to products, these properties provide tremendous advantages. For example, when used in polymers, bulk carbon nanotubes can improve the thermal and electrical properties of the products.

Today, carbon nanotubes find application in many different products, and researchers continue to explore creative new applications. Current applications include: bicycle components, wind turbines, flat panel displays, scanning probe microscopes, sensing devices, marine paints, electronics and so on.

The strength and flexibility of carbon nanotubes makes them of potential use in controlling other nanoscale structures, which suggests they will have an important role in nanotechnology engineering.

19

Comprehension

1. Find answers to the following questions.

1.What does the text deal with?

2.What is a carbon nanotube like?

3.What is the diameter of one carbon nanotube?

4.How are carbon nanotubes classified according to their structures?

5.Is there much potential for CNTs?

6.What is Roger Bacon famous for?

7.What contribution did Sumio Iijima and Donald Bethune make to the development of nanotubes?

8.What properties do carbon nanotubes have?

9.What are the applications and advantages of carbon nanotubes?

2. What do the following dates and numbers refer to?

Grammar Focus

The gerund is a non-finite form of the verb with some noun features. It is formed by adding the suffix -ing to the stem of the verb.

Example: Seeing is believing.

20