Converging Nanotechnology and Digital Currencies

It was a great pleasure and honor to be the keynote speaker at the World Digital Currency Forum on the 16th December 2019 in Hong Kong, along with my colleague and Asia Pacific CEO of The World Nano Foundation Global Economist Nick Zhao. It was a great opportunity to share with everyone the extraordinary innovation Nanotechnology and Digitally Assets/ Digital Currencies can deliver for our economies and the planet. More importantly these complimentary technologies are now converging bringing the physical and the digital together.

Nanotechnology first came into the public consciousness about a decade ago, but nanoscale innovation has been developing for many decades.  Nanotechnology lets science and industries operate at below molecular level, allowing us to change the rules of physics, chemistry and biology.  Nanoscale technology is a hundred thousand times smaller than a human hair and can transform and enhance any physical or digital asset allowing them to collectively create extraordinary innovation with positive outcomes for sustainable life and economies.

The World Nano Foundation’s aim is to commercialise the ready to go nanotech innovation through smart investments, technology, infrastructure and strategy implementation. This will help to ensure we create a far more decarbonised, decentralised and digitalised global economy.

We shared with the audience some of the areas of nanotechnology that is creating a complete change for almost every industry type, as well as accelerate and secure our digitised future.

NANOTECHNOLOGY IMPACT ON DIGITAL ASSETS

Nanotechnology’s unique properties allow huge amounts of data to be stored and transmitted in real time.  Many tiny nano materials or sensors are now being used in clothing and textiles to repel harmful pollutants as well as communicate complex data back to a digital asset.  These technologies have huge benefits for the financial industry but also for electrical devices, healthcare, energy, food, media, telecoms, transport and infrastructure using Smart contracts. 

Many people outside of research organisations and academics can’t fully explain the blockchain or nanotechnology and its impact with any clarity. The reality is that neither of these transformational technologies are yet fully understood by government officials or some investors let alone the wider community.  The real-world applications are enormous and are now already in market. They’re in our mobile phones, drugs our TVs and even our cement. They are now about to enter the market on a scale way beyond any other industrial revolution. Much of which goes unnoticed to the outside world due to the fact this is so small in nature of the technology but infinitely smart.

When it comes to Digital Assets/Digital Currency technology it is perhaps best known as the technology that underpins the cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, but it can be applied to many different business areas or communities like finance, media, healthcare, identity and any supply chain. Major IT companies, such as IBM, Microsoft, SAP and Oracle have invested heavily in making blockchain usable by business enterprises for these applications, and more.  China has just announced prior to the World Digital Currency Forum Hong Kong event that it plans to launch a global digital currency of its own and it was been reported that one day this may replace the dollar as the currency of choice in the global markets or for smaller countries.  Nanotechnology and Digital assets as well as the blockchain working together will accelerate the speed of change and our ability to sustain our economies and our environment.  The World Digital Bank was at the event and shared with us how they plan to launch various digital currencies starting in Asia and over 40 countries were represented at the World Digital Currency Forum. It has also been reported that the EU as well as the Bank of England are considering their options about their own digital currencies potentially unwritten against their fiat currency. Tech Giants like Facebook have also made their intentions clear and a tipping point for governments and the public is maybe upon us.  

QUANTUM DOTS IMPACT ON THE BLOCKCHAIN

As part of my talk, I also highlighted one example of how the combination of the blockchain and nanotechnology can be applied to a particularly challenging aspect of the supply chain management, namely the huge global criminal marketplace in counterfeit goods. This as we know really hurts business profits, impacts brand trust and undermines customer relationships.  The counterfeit market alone is a trillion-dollar global business and something that a more secure digital asset can potentially eradicate using nanotechnology-based quantum dots as the foundations of any transaction of a physical asset or digital asset.  This is even more fool proof than a DNA fingerprint.  

As most would know by now a blockchain is a type of database that is tamper proof. Data stored in a blockchain cannot be changed (the technical term is immutable), it can be shared among multiple users, and significantly the composition of the data stored is agreed to by multiple users of the blockchain before it can be stored (this process is known as consensus). In short, blockchains as the world is finding out are an incredibly secure way to keep information safe and consistent among multiple participants in a business network.

Furthermore, on this shadowy world of counterfeit goods. Sadly, it’s a big business for criminals. Industry statistics suggest counterfeiting is a $1.8 trillion endeavour that spans the globe. Just about every product is a target for counterfeiters – luxury fashion accessories, fine art, wine, auto parts, pharmaceuticals, sports brands and consumer electronics are some common examples – and this activity impacts businesses and their brands both financially and reputationally and can represent a significant risk for consumers.

So how is the combination of blockchain and nanotechnology being leveraged to fight the counterfeiters as just one example of how nanotechnology will work alongside the blockchain, digital assets or digital currencies?

The World Nano Foundation has companies who have developed highly sophisticated nanomaterials in the form of Quantum dots over the past decade. Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductor particles that possess notable and extremely useful optical and electrical properties. They measure from 1,000 to 100,000 atoms in size (approximately 10,000 dots would fit across the diameter of a human hair) and they generate light when energy is applied to them or generate energy when light is applied.

We work with nanotech companies who can now create large commercial quantities of quantum dot materials that can be finely tuned to emit predetermined wavelengths of light (in both the visible and non-visible spectrums) with the ability to create billions of unique optical signatures linked to any physical or digital asset. Moreover, they are excitable by numerous excitation energy sources which creates many unique opportunities in the digital and physical space.

These Quantum dots can be incorporated into almost any physical item at time of manufacture, and then provide a unique light signature that establishes absolute product identity. These identities are impossible to copy or clone so that products enhanced by them can be verified as being genuine items and not counterfeits.

When the Quantum dot signature of a product is scanned (via a hand-held scanner or an app on a smartphone), a digital representation is created that is stored on a secure and tamper-proof blockchain platform. It is this platform that allows for tracking of products providing visibility among all participants in their supply chain - from manufacture to customer purchase.

In addition, the blockchain platform is also used to store the unique digital identities of individual customers, and to tie ownership of a product to a customer at purchase time. No longer making it necessary to keep a physical receipt.

For example, a customer purchasing a luxury item that has Quantum dots incorporated into it by its manufacturer can use their smartphone to scan the asset to give them confidence that the product is genuine. As a bonus, the manufacturer is notified that the individual item’s authenticity has been checked and can offer a warranty or loyalty program to the customer in order to establish an enduring brand/customer relationship.

The key thing for the blockchain and the nanotechnology is that they both working together in this example massively impacting the bottom line. Surveys conducted by retailers point to customers not only appreciating being able to prove product authenticity but tending to buy more products where that functionality is available. They also frequent the seller more often.

Almost everyone is a winner – the customer, the retailer and the product brand. Not the criminal counterfeiters.  This has enormous applications in many other fields such as health and wellbeing data and use of trading other commodities.

HIGHLY DISRUPTIVE NANO MEDICINE

We also shared with the audience how health and wellbeing, is being sold as healthcare for everyone and as we are seeing almost every government pledging to invest more in healthcare, resources and infrastructure.  The recent international longevity conference we attended highlighted that there should be a complete reassessment of where healthcare budgets are deployed due in part to our ageing populations.  In fact, only a small percentage of government health budgets goes on preventative medicines or diagnostics.  This is where again the advent of nano enabled diagnostics or biomarkers is so important so that we can track our health more accurately in real time rather than any traditional or outdated cumbersome centralized systems, doctors or hospitals.  New-born babies, elderly people, sick hospital patients and sports enthusiasts all stand to gain from the development of wearable technology using nanomaterials linking it back to a rewards and loyalty system using digital assets and the Blockchain. 

These products will bring about the next golden age of healthcare, by allowing the public and medics to be alerted remotely in real time to changes in a patient's health.

These nanoscale devices will provide early warning systems for a range of people: poorly patients on busy hospital wards; elderly people in care homes at risk of falling or sudden illness; those at risk of anaphylactic shock, characterised by a sudden drop in blood pressure.

By spotting changes in pulse, blood pressure, joint movement and respiration rates, these products could identify sickness before external symptoms reveal themselves. In that way, a patient could be helped sooner.

The blockchain and digital assets have the ability to work together with nano sensors to alert the individual of any actions that would improve their health and wellbeing, again in real time.  A digital currency or asset could reward that community for positive actions or activity and vastly reduce the burden on our healthcare systems.  These nanotechnologies could also stop future pandemics happening as the spread of disease will be stopped using smart data and testing on the move as well as having nano medicines that can treat the root cause.

The World Nano Foundation defines these as enabling technologies where different technologies combine to create extraordinary leapfrog opportunities for the global community to change the dynamics of an entire healthcare eco system.  This would create a massive reduction in the cost of healthcare and make the whole world healthier and more sustainable.

NANO MEDICINE’S POTENTIAL IMPACT ON DEGENERATIVE DISEASES

There is immense societal and economic need to treat degenerative and autoimmune diseases. Predicted to reach global annual costs of trillions of dollars and already costing $250 billion for Alzheimer’s. Tragically the young also suffer, including autoimmune attack against the brain in Multiple Sclerosis costing $100 billion. Yet still today there is no cure despite huge investment in drugs and more recently stem cell approaches where costs may soar to $1 million per patient.

The World Nano Foundation is working with our partners who are exploiting nanotechnology to turn the tables by creating nano-medicines  able to target disease sites to treat and heal tissues - a quantum leap for mankind.

We have one extraordinary example of a company who has invented a nanomedicine to heal and repair the brain. Their secret has been to take the "stemness" out of Stem Cells - a growth factor called "LIF" - and formulate it as a nanoparticle using FDA-approved gel to create a synthetic stem cell. This is a game changer - cell-free synthetic stem cells for low cost, high gain.  They are designed to hitch a ride on immune cells that act as a Trojan Horse, carrying the synthetic stem cells to where disease is active - even inside the brain.  Being synthetic, industrial scale production has the potential to provide global access to patients suffering degenerative diseases. Millions of years of evolution of stem cells has been captured at nanoscale - quantum biology with immense power to treat the body without drugs. Preclinical Proof is compelling - with reversal of paralysis in a model of Multiple Sclerosis. The company is working with nature and is uniquely disruptive to lucrative healthcare markets.

Recognized by global awards, this company is now working alongside The World Nano Foundation as it moves into clinical trials - leading the world to treat previously untreatable diseases. Patients will receive an intra-venous injection of the synthetic stem cells (LIF-loaded nanoparticles) predicted to rapidly enter the brain through natural pathways at the blood-brain barrier that are specific for LIF - all part of the unique design covered by patents and suitable for production at scale with minimal effects on the environment.

NANO TECH AND DIGITAL ASSETS WITH 5G

30 years ago, at the start of the digital revolution main frame computers could only cope with what a typical smartphone can process in less than a fraction of a second and this is because of the highly powerful nano sensors embedded in our modern smart phones. 

With the advent of 5G, and then 6G, 7G and beyond nanotechnology will allow incredible amounts of data to pass via digital assets in a nano second.  However, many countries are now gearing up for 5G by digging up most of our cities to put in new faster fibre optic cable. It is our view and many others that this fibre optic cable will become obsolete within a few years as millimeter wave technology using nano scale innovation will allow us to transmit unlimited amounts of data safely through the airwaves rather than via cumbersome fibre cable without the associated cost and disruption to our urban infrastructures.  This will be much faster and cheaper virtual fibre network that will be able to communicate, process and deliver securely to any digital eco system or asset within a nano second.  The financial benefits on our future smart cities, infrastructure and economies will be unprecedented.

At The World Nano Foundation, we are working with ex-NASA engineers alongside some of the world’s leading telecoms companies to bring this commercially ready innovation to the digital economy.  This will allow for trillions of transactions to run seamlessly across multiple digital or physical assets.  The technology was first used for communication networks between space and earth via the space station.

THE FUSION OF TECH ECO SYSTEMS

So, the fusion between nanotechnology and digital assets is now making the next industrial revolution industry 4.0 a reality over the coming years.  This is not a development of the 21st century; it’s in the present as is the emergence of digital currencies.   We are also seeing the potential for 3D printing potentially linked to the blockchain and even food being grown from the lab (no food miles here) without pollutants such as antibiotics in our food or water table or worse plastic particulates. 

Energy will also be able to travel using highly sensitive speed of light cables that will transfer energy as well as data around the world in nano seconds.  This form of technology will have a massive impact on solar energy and the Blockchain can again play a major part in the transaction process. 

WHAT THE NEXT GENERATION WILL FACE BY 2050

We have to embrace these enabling technologies as we have a population that’s going to grow from 6 billion to 9.7 billion in less than 30 years.  We have governments promising healthcare investment for everyone in an unsustainable centralized model that creates the worst outcomes for everyone.   More of the world’s population are living in our urban cities and we need these converging technologies for life to function sustainably.

There are now 7 billion smartphones in the world, and we will have over a trillion nano sensors in operation by 2025 so everything is possible with smart investment.  By 2050 we will have more plastic than fish in our seas and our water table already has far too many antibiotics and other pollutants in it due to over production of animal-based foods.  These technologies can reverse this if we act now.  The plans for global centralized based infrastructure investment are $97 trillion by 2040 and it’s not productive or sustainable.  We’ve all heard about the impacts of climate events and we have to make better decisions using a combination of nanotechnology and digital innovation. 

LEARNING FROM PAST EXPERIENCE

Experience shows us that innovation brings about huge change to our world and environments.  The last industrial revolution brought great benefits but significant challenges.  Whether that’s burning carbon-based fossil fuels and damaging our atmosphere, or the overuse of antibiotics via our eco systems.  The digital media world is also learning that reliable content from trusted sources or lack of it has opened up all sorts of challenges for our economies as well as governments around fake news and cyber security.   Combining nanotechnology and digital assets can create a force for good - let’s make sure we build a positive legacy for our futures and the next generation that follow on.

We can do this through international collaboration and by ensuring that the public, industry, the media and everyone else fully understand what the opportunity and vision is for our futures. In our small way The World Nano Foundation is trying to do this through our community of over 250,000 people and organizations’ in over 60 countries.

Involving global tech giants from the past such as Steve Wozniak and others like him learning from them about how to avoid mistakes from the past. 

We are at tipping point in these complimentary technologies where the physical and the digital will start to converge as one. What we must never forget is it has to bring a  currency of life “ not just a currency of  short-term gain over long term thinking or there will be no value chain or model that will sustain itself.  We can harness and seize this time to create positive but a lasting impact.

Written by Paul Stannard (Chairman of World Nano Foundation)

Email: paul.stannard@worldnanofoundation.com

How Nanotechnology Could Accelerate China’s Global Impact

It’s no secret that from a population and economic perspective, China is one of the modern-day superpowers, and its influence is likely to increase in the coming years. As it stands, China’s population is the largest in the world and its economy has been growing by about 10% year on year for the last 40 years—most have which has been due to advances and innovations in the technology and manufacturing spaces. The benefits of this economic growth can also be seen in some of the societal impacts, such as an increased life expectancy. However, there are downsides to these advancements, with one of the biggest disadvantages being a significant increase in carbon dioxide emissions—and a subsequent negative impact on global warming and climate change.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has recently stated that multiple areas of growth in China have contributed to this overall economic growth. There are also multiple areas where nanotechnology could have a positive impact on these areas, whether it be an expansion of the already positive growth factors or a reduction/negation of the negative factors which have come with this growth—these are the areas which we’re going to focus in on. China is in a very good position to increase their global impact in this way, as they have put a lot of money into nanotechnology research and a lot of intellectual property (IP) has been generated as a result.

As mentioned, carbon dioxide emissions have been one of the main negative impacts to China’s growth. However, there are many technologies being developed nowadays that can limit the emissions entering our atmosphere. Nanomaterial/ultra-thin catalytic membranes are one option for reducing the gases emitted from plants, as the gas molecules adhere to the surface and are converted into less harmful gases. These are known as carbon-capture technologies and can reduce emissions by up to 90%. New nanomaterial-based catalysts are also being developed for various reactions to reduce/change the side products created during the reaction. This is an area where emissions, or other pollutants (depending on the reaction) could be removed before they have a chance to reach the environment. A significant reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases using nanomaterial-inspired solutions could increase China’s impact on the global stage.

Renewable energy is an area where China has invested heavily, and they built more solar and wind farms than any other country last year. There is a demand in China for more electricity—which is being fuelled by the population increase and an increase in technology usage—and this is one area which could be accelerated by nanotechnology. For a lot of solar cells, there is a limit. This limit can be efficiency, flexibility, or the places where they can be installed. The inclusion of various types of nanomaterials into solar cells has helped to increase the photon to electricity conversion rate, make solar cells flexible, and has enabled them to be printed on to a surface. So, whether it’s an increase in electricity generation per solar cell, or the ability to install/print solar cells on to more surfaces, nanotechnology could offer a way of meeting the growing electricity demands in China.

Chinese consumers buy a lot of electric cars—with 1.1 million people buying new electric cars last year—and China possesses 99% of the world’s electric bus fleet. China is the leading nation in terms of battery production and produces many more batteries per year than any other country. A lot of electric vehicle (EV) batteries are also made in China and the price is coming down year on year. However, EV batteries are notoriously slow at charging and don’t last for long enough time periods for the average consumer—although they are getting slightly better. Nanomaterials are seen as the answer to these challenges and could offer a way of making significant beneficial increases (i.e. disruptive to the status quo), rather than slight improvements. Nanomaterial-inspired batteries and fuel cells with efficient cycle and discharge cycle rates are seen as future of EVs, and China could take advantage of all the nanotechnology research going on within the country to produce the next generation of EV batteries.

Space applications combined with nanomaterials is (likely) to be an area for the future, but China’s recent moon landing shows that they are looking to increase their presence in this area. Nanomaterials are undergoing a lot of research around the world for space applications, including everything from space suits, to powering and storing energy on spacecraft, as barrier coatings for spacecraft to protect them from radiation, to the materials which spacecraft (or their parts) are made from, and even in the construction of a space elevator. As there is no global leader yet, and most of these are in the prototype/concept stage, China could benefit by pursuing nanotechnology researching for space applications and become a global leader in space innovations—which could further boost China’s global impact.

Written by Liam Critchley.

Investing in the nanotechnology market

Nanotechnology—whether it’s the actual production of the nanomaterials themselves or their implementation into various applications and markets—is one of the largest growing industries in the world. It is an industry that has been rapidly developing, advancing and growing over the last ten years and is expected to grow to $125 billion by 2024—roughly double what it is now. The markets in which nanomaterials are expanding into are also growing, and new markets/applications are emerging year on year, so there has never been a better time to become a part of a growing scientific movement.

Nanotechnology is in almost every market segment and is now used in products around the world. While there are some geographical areas which are less developed, it is a global revolution and is not confined to a single geographical region. As it stands, the biomedical, energy, and electronics markets account for around 70% of the global nanotechnology market, with the largest application area being electronics. But these are not the only markets which invest a lot into nanotechnology. For example, the global defence market for nanotechnologies was valued in 2017 to be around $3 billion, and automotive market currently captures 5% of the market (although this is likely to experience a big increase in the coming years). But these are just some examples of the growth and the potential for anyone who wants to get involved with the nanotechnology sector.

As the moment, nanoparticles (in various forms) occupy 85% of the market share, but there are many nanomaterials which are at a tipping-point stage—and could be propelled to new heights in the coming years—so this dynamic could shift. One nanomaterial of note which is at this tipping-point is graphene. Graphene has exploded over the last few years and many products are now hitting the market around the world. This ranges from clothing to road surfaces, automotive parts, aerospace coatings, bike frames and many more in between. Graphene has found a lot of commercial use in many low-tech products, but there is likely to be a shift over the next few years to its inclusion in higher tech products—from batteries and electronic components, to display screens, and many different types of sensor, among others. This is a material where market confidence is high, but there is still a huge amount of growth potential; so, it is an ideal time for anyone to get on board with graphene before it passes the tipping point and becomes a highly established market.

Quantum dots are another example of a growing material and market. Largely unheard of in commercial applications for many years, there has a been a recent surge of using them in commercial products. While they are usable for high-tech imaging applications, they have found a lot of use in anti-counterfeiting coatings for various packaging products, and this is a material where the tip of the iceberg has only just been explored. There is much more to come.

These are just a couple of examples of the different types of materials which are up and coming from a commercial perspective and are only likely to grow in the next few years. Carbon nanotubes are another nanomaterial which has recently come in to favour again and has been finding new applications. Polymers have established themselves as a great host material for many nanomaterials in the composites market and their use is only likely to grow as more nanomaterials are tested, and new nanocomposite applications are found. Regardless of the material of interest, the market sector, or specific application, the field of nanotechnology has it all and there is something for every investor.

Nano Media Group has launched a dedicated nanotechnology investment platform, which supports remarkable technology to accelerate companies into global markets through impact investments. The platform, Invest In Nano, launched with an initial 2020 programme, that will be the begin a drive to bring together innovative nanotechnology companies and investors.

For more information please visit www.investinnano.com

How nanotechnology could change food packaging

With there being a lot of stigma about ‘are nanomaterials safe?’, you may be surprised to hear that nanotechnology, and nanomaterials, are being considered for food packaging applications. Obviously, like any new area, an area where consumers are involved and areas where food is used, there are always going to be concerns, but the European Commission has been working on the safety of nanomaterials in food packaging applications through government funded projects, and working with expert organisations such as SAFENANO.

Materials of nanoscale dimensions, including polymers, biopolymers and other nanocomposites, can be incorporated into food packaging to increase the strength, durability, gas barrier, humidity resistance and biodegradability of the packaging. However, given that the cost of food packaging is traditionally low, any advances in these properties must not incur a huge increase in cost.

Yet, there are also many other areas, other than structural benefits, where nanotechnology and food packaging meet. These are in active packaging and smart packaging. For active packaging, nanomaterials, such as nanosilver, nanocopper, nanotitanium and carbon nanotubes, can be used to provide an antimicrobial barrier, and oxygen and UV scavenging properties, with the most promising area being in the use of nanosilver-based particles. On the area of smart packaging, nanomaterials are used in a sensing capacity to determine if there has been any change in the microbial activity or the releases of gases within the food that could cause it to spoil. Additionally, nanomaterials are also being trialled as a tracing material within food packaging to prevent counterfeiting.

The Use of Nanodiamonds?

This is an interesting area, one which has a lot of academic interest and research going into it, but not a lot of worthwhile real-world use—not yet anyway, or not at any point unless the price can be brought down to about 1/50th of its current cost. One of the irks of the food industry is that they don’t like to pay for packaging at the best of times, so when presented with a new packaging that costs 50 times the conventional plastic trays they are using now, they are not going to go with it—no matter how much better the packaging is.

Nevertheless, from an interesting and different perspective against the norm, it is worth mentioning. I was only informed of their use recently when I attended a nanomedicine conference in Manchester. Yet, despite food packaging not falling under this banner per se, I was quite astonished at the fact there was multiple talks on the specific use of nanodiamonds within food packaging. So, I obviously checked it out. Whilst there is academic merit, it is not a practical solution. There were claims that nanodiamonds in food packaging can provide enhanced oxygen-barrier and antimicrobial properties to the packaging, and whilst there may be a bit more reason to implement them in pharmaceutical packaging (although that is still unlikely), for food packaging, it will not happen now or in the near-future and this is mainly due to the price point that manufacturers would have to charge for their packaging.

Regulatory Issues?

In general, food producers have a duty of care to ensure that their food products are not going to cause harm to the consumer from excess microbe growth. Whilst nanomaterials can offer a way to prevent this, they too need to be tested to ensure that toxic levels of nanoparticles are not migrating from the packaging into the food. Whilst each nanomaterial is evaluated individually, the general consensus is that for one cubic litre of packaging containing 1 Kg of food, the upper migration limit is 60 mg per Kg of food. As it stands, there are many factors, including the type of nanomaterial used and the foodstuff—with their being studies showing that acidic food and microwave heating (more so than oven heating) promotes the migration of the nanomaterial into the foodstuff. More studies are currently being done on this area, as some metal nanoparticles show migration values above the permitted threshold limit, whilst others are below—so before nanomaterials can be widely used in food packaging, there is a need for clearer toxicity and nanoparticle migration results.

Written by Liam Critchley.

Key issues raised at Davos 2019 which nanotechnology could help solve

Last week, the Swiss Ski Resort of Davos hosted the World Economic Forum for its yearly conference, with this year’s theme being Globalization 4.0, and much of what was being discussed not only focused on the future of globalisation, but also highlighted the effects it has already had on the planet. The event saw notable leaders in everything from art to politics discuss the many issues of globalisation, but what roles does nanotechnology have to play in these issues?

Climate Change and Energy

This year we heard an impassioned discussion between Prince William and legendary conservationist David Attenborough, who explained that it was "difficult to overstate" the global climate change crisis. Meanwhile, 16-year old Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg, went viral during a talk, when she blamed the global elite for their role in climate change.

Despite this, many environmentalists may have been left disappointed by Angela Merkel’s insistence that Germany would still need coal for “a certain time” and the number of limos filled with CEOs from across the world that left the roads of Davos gridlocked. So, how can nanotechnology help reduce global emissions and aid in the climate change crisis?

Batteries is one area where the use of nanomaterials is starting to gain traction, in the move away from fossil feuls. While work still needs to be done to assess their long-term safety, the initial efficiencies and charge/discharge cycle rates look very promising for many applications.

One of the most promising areas is in electric vehicles, which have issues with slow charging rates and rapid discharge rates. Batteries, fuel cells and hybrid Lithium-ion-ultracapacitors that employ nanomaterials have all been touted as the next big thing for electric vehicles because they have much better cycle and discharge cycle rates. This makes them more efficient, gives them more capacity and would hopefully lead to larger adoption of driving electric vehicle over current fuel-run models, due to the better performing batteries.

Also, another nanotechnology solution for climate change could be Carbon capture, which is the process of collecting the carbon dioxide produced when fossil fuels are burned. Solar Cells could be a further solution, there are currently many different types of solar cell that employ nanomaterials because they provide a much greater conversion efficiency over traditional solar cells by minimising the energy loss at these junctions.

Healthcare

Bill Gates explained at Davos 2019 that healthcare investments are the best he’s made, while UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, pledged to incentivise pharmaceutical companies to create “urgently needed” drugs to fight antimicrobial resistance.

Researchers from institutions across the world are already hoping to use nanotechnology to develop more targeted treatments for drug-resistant bugs. This approach will lead to great strides in battling pneumonia and could also be adapted to target other difficult-to-treat bacterial infections such as tuberculosis.

Meanwhile, this could also help Bill Gates in his goal of finding a vaccination for TB, with nanotechnology also offering a solution to one of his other long-term goals, finding a way to treat and possibly prevent HIV/Aids. A team from Creighton University’s School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, could have a method which incorporates a monoclonal antibody that blocks the targeted receptor, thereby preventing HIV from eve penetrating cells in the human body.

Data and the Internet of Things

In his talk about nano-enabled Smart Cities at Davos, the World Nano Foundation’s Chairman, Paul Stannard, spoke of the need to manage data with nano sensors and 5G transformation to improve the way smart cities are built and run across the world.

Millimetre wave technology companies could already speed the transformation of 5G, using these virtual fibre networks could be the future of 5G. This option is much faster and less disruptive than the fibre optic cable solutions being implemented today, which creates more cost, disruption and is not future proof as we move to 6, 7 or even 8G.

A nano-enabled virtual fibre network is ready to scale now for major cities and could have a big impact on driving further globalisation and connectivity. This would also aid in driving the internet of nano-things, helping to build everything from better smart connected homes to better real-time medical diagnostics for the masses, technologies already in development but that would perform much better in a 5G enabled environment.

The role of nanotechnology in the oil and gas industry

Inspired by the creative thinking of physicist Richard Feynman in 1959, nanotechnology is now recognised as having important applications in many industries – including oil and gas. Organisations in this sector should be aware of its potential impact and the opportunities it could bring. 

Nanotechnology may focus on small things, but the global nanotechnology industry is large and growing, anticipated to be worth US$75.8 billion by 2020, and governments recognise its potential. The UK Government, for example, is promoting nanotechnology research through the National Graphene Institute, based at the University of Manchester, and has set up the Nanotechnology Strategy Forum to support the development of nanotechnology industries in the UK. In addition, awareness and knowledge across the UK is being increased through the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network.

So what does this mean for oil and gas? Applying nanotechnology creates huge opportunities for more efficient and effective oil and gas production. Nanotechnology has, in fact, played a part in the oil and gas industry for a long time due to the presence of nanoscale particles in the oil recovery process. With recent innovations, nanoparticles, nanosensors and nanorobots could become an integral part of the oil and gas recovery process, potentially improving every stage from searching, drilling and production/processing through to transport and refining.

One reason that nanotechnology could have such an impact is because materials’ properties (such as magnetic, electrical, thermal and optical) have unique characteristics at these scales. This means, for example,  nanoparticles can be used for advanced imaging techniques during oil reservoir exploration, where they are able to function under the high temperatures and pressures and unknown chemical environments that pose problems for normal sensors. Nanosensors sent through the wellbore and then recovered as “nanodust” with extracted oil can provide data on the reservoir’s characteristics and the nature of the fluid flow. Similarly, when extracting shale gas, nano-computerised tomography (an X-ray based imaging technique) can be used to create images of shales and pore structures. Nano-characterisation and nano-sensing technologies can also be used to obtain the mineral composition and petrophysical properties of formations. 

During drilling stages, nanoparticles can be used to change the viscosity of drilling muds – addressing the problem of thick drilling mud caking the wellbore’s walls and increasing the force required for extraction. During hydraulic fracking, nanoparticles can help to increase the viscosity of the fracking fluid and so improve its rock-fracturing ability.

Oil recovery is also being improved by nanotechnology, particularly enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which is increasingly important as oil reserves become depleted. For example, nanoparticles can reduce oil viscosity and alter wettability to improve oil mobility and hence recoverability. Magnetic nanoparticles like ferromagnetic nanofluids (also known as ‘smart’ nanofluids) can be used as crude oil tracers in estimating residual oil saturation. Research has also indicated that oil recovery is increased when magnetic nanoparticles are introduced into the oil and subjected to an electromagnetic field, so reducing oil viscosity.

Nanoparticles have also shown promising performance in scale inhibition in oil recovery equipment and the recovery of hydrates. In addition, nanostructured materials can be used for the transport of compressed natural gas, while nanocoatings and nanomembranes can be used in the refining stages to separate gas streams, remove impurities and suspend oil droplets.

As these examples show, many ways of applying nanotechnology in the oil and gas industry are already being explored. Further research will help to refine such approaches and identify new applications – so achieving more efficient, effective and lower cost oil and gas production.

Companies interested in exploring the potential can seek Government funding in the form of grants awarded by UK Research and Innovation. For example, its emerging and enabling technology programme supports innovative projects into nanotechnology applications. In addition, the Government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund has highlighted the importance of quantum technologies (which includes nanotechnology) and committed £20 million in pioneer funding. HMRC’s research and development (R&D) tax relief scheme also provides valuable funding for innovative activity. Obtaining relief for qualifying R&D costs generates a potentially substantial cash boost – providing a real incentive for undertaking further innovation.  However, applying for grants and claiming R&D tax relief can be a time-consuming and complex process for individual companies unfamiliar with the details.

Moore Stephens’ Innovation & Technology Group, which includes PhD-qualified consultants in the fields of nanotechnology, chemical engineering and petrochemical engineering, can help you. We have a proven track record in both successful grant applications and R&D tax relief claims for our clients. Please get in touch for further information and support, our team is always on hand to discuss your plans and innovations and how we can help you.

For further information, or for advice on the funding options available to your business, please contact us.

Written by Dr. Tariq Ahmad and Dr. Sharli Zarkar.

Tariq is a Manager in the Moore Stephens’ Innovation & Technology Group (ITG) specialising in the delivery of R&D tax relief claims and grant funding applications for clients over a range of industries including engineering, manufacturing, materials, biotechnology, environmental and software. 

Tariq holds a PhD in Semiconductor Nanotechnology from the Hitachi-Microelectronics Research Institute at the University of Cambridge. He also has many years’ experience as an R&D project engineer for an international scientific instrumentation company, specialising in low temperature cryogenic and superconducting magnet systems.  Through his career he has gained experience of cutting edge research globally and worked with many leading Universities and research institutes. His particular R&D interests include nanotechnology, quantum technologies, graphene and superconductivity.

Sharli is a Consultant within the Moore Stephens Innovation and Technology Group, and has a special interest in Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from City University of New York. She has R&D experience in the oil and gas sector from her time as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Notre Dame, USA where she was involved in work focussing on separation processes. Sharli’s expertise has been used for industries such as chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, polymers, biomedical, agriculture and food.

The quantum world of nanotechnology

As quantum technologies operate through the exploitation of matter at very small scales, they are dependent and underpinned by advances in the field of nanotechnology.

The world of nanotechnology is an interesting space, and one that is filled with so much variety. Many people hear about how nanotechnology can be used in quantum computing and other similar electronic technologies, but how many people understand the quantum world of nanotechnology? This article aims to shed some light on the basic principles of quantum nanotechnology.

There are two fundamental principles at the core of nanotechnology – The first is that the smaller you make the material, the greater the relative surface area of the material; and the second is the loss of bulk properties in lieu of quantum phenomena when you get to such a small scale.

It all starts with a box…

And by a box, I mean a particle in a box. Quantum nanotechnology is based around the principle of electron tunnelling. The basic theory is that a particle confined to a one-dimensional box cannot escape unless the electron tunnels its way out of the confinement. This is a phenomenon only exhibited by quantum materials and is not seen with any bulk materials. This principle can be extended to incorporate all 3-dimensions – the so-called particle in a three-dimensional box. The amount of electron confinement introduced to a material will determine its dimension – as quantum dimensions are more relative the electron confinement (and in how many dimensions the electrons act in) than the atomic spatial arrangement.

Quantum dots

Quantum dots are likely to be the most known quantum structure in this article. The interesting thing about quantum dots, is that electronically, they are confined in all 3-dimensions, so they are classed as zero-dimensional materials.

Quantum dots are an interesting class of materials, and many of them luminesce (which is usually tuneable). They are semiconducting in nature and are often referred to artificial atoms because they possess discrete electronic states – i.e. the states can only take certain values of energy (unlike bulk materials). Quantum dots are now gaining a lot of interest across many applications, and some research now focuses on the phenomena of double quantum dots.

Quantum wires

Otherwise known as nanowires, quantum nanowires are an electrically conductive one-dimensional structure with electrons confined in two dimensions. They are referred to as ‘wires’ because the electron movements are confined to one transverse direction, i.e. along the wire, making their mode of operation similar to conventional wires. They are used to pass electrons in electronic devices, or sensing devices, but can only be used a certain energy levels, because their bands are also discrete. One major benefit of quantum wires is their high aspect ratio, where the length of the wire can be up to 1000 times greater than their width.

Quantum wells

Quantum wells are only confined in one direction, so electrons can tunnel in two directions. This enables quantum wells (also known as potential wells) to be connected to each other under the right conditions.

Quantum wells are usually seen in semiconducting materials and the geometry of the well forces the particles into a planar axis. Quantum wells are a phenomenon created by the discrete energy bands of holes and electrons in semiconducting materials. These discrete energy levels lead to sub-bands with the material, where each well is not connected to each other and the electrons cannot tunnel out.

However, there are cases where the distance between potential wells is not sufficient to block all electrical contact between wells. The electrons can then tunnel and link the potential wells together, creating a ‘superlattice’. These superlattices contain minibands which run the length of the connected potential wells, meaning that electrons can easily travel between wells and enables the superlattice to exhibit excellent charge carrier properties, and in some cases, superconductivity.

Applications

There are too many applications of quantum materials to go into sufficient detail here. However, there will be another article coming shortly focusing on these quantum applications. But, for now, here is a list of some of the areas that quantum nanotechnology is involved in: transistors, solar cells, LEDs, diode lasers, quantum computing, saturable absorbers, thermoelectric devices and medical imaging, to name a few.

Funding

The UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) was announced last year to provide funding and support to UK businesses and researchers and forms part of their commitment to a £4.7 billion increase in R&D over the next four years.  One of the 14 key industrial challenges identified is for quantum technologies, where they have pledged up to £20million of funding to develop prototypes, having recognized this could have a significant impact across a number of their challenge areas. 

It is believed the emerging field of quantum technologies could lead to new products in areas such as medical devices, advanced sensors and secure communication systems. Although much of the work is in the lab environment, the funding aims to advance the commercialisation of quantum technologies through collaboration with businesses. This new funding commitment expands on the £25 million the government has already invested in a number of Innovate UK quantum technology funding programmes since 2014.

Applying for funding can be complex and time-consuming and so businesses should seek guidance from specialists advisors. Through their knowledge of the breadth of government funding, a specialist in this field can also ensure a business has considered all options available, including R&D tax relief schemes, and has chosen the most suitable for them.

For further information, or for advice on the funding options available to your business, please contact us.

Written by Tariq Ahmad. Article originally from Nano Magazine.

Tariq is a Manager in the Moore Stephens’ Innovation & Technology Group (ITG) specialising in the delivery of R&D tax relief claims and grant funding applications for clients over a range of industries including engineering, manufacturing, materials, biotechnology, environmental and software. 

Tariq holds a PhD in Semiconductor Nanotechnology from the Hitachi-Microelectronics Research Institute at the University of Cambridge. He also has many years’ experience as an R&D project engineer for an international scientific instrumentation company, specialising in low temperature cryogenic and superconducting magnet systems.  Through his career he has gained experience of cutting edge research globally and worked with many leading Universities and research institutes. His particular R&D interests include nanotechnology, quantum technologies, graphene and superconductivity.

The most underrated nanotechnologies

The world of nanotechnology is vast. Practically every industry and application will use nanotechnology in one form or another. Because nanotechnology is the study of the nanoscale environment, and everything involves some basic reaction or interaction at the nanoscale, everything utilises nanotechnology at some point.

Given that fact, it is obvious that some technologies will slip through the cracks and not be as well-known as others – even if the benefits of using them are great. It is not only the hyped-up technologies and the materials of fame that are of great use to the nanotechnology community.

We now look at a couple of techniques in the nanotechnology space which are not as well documented as they should be.

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)

There are many well-known and well-used coating methods around today. Many people use spin coating, sputtering and powder coating to coat electronics, structural materials, and so forth. However, not many people know about atomic layer deposition, otherwise known as ALD.

ALD is a similar technique to chemical vapour deposition (CVD), but gaseous atoms can be used to coat a surface. The great thing about ALD is its versatility. ALD can create nano-precise coatings from many elements and the coatings become bonded to the surface. Its versatility even extends to coating of nanoparticles.

Compared to many other coating methods, ALD can conform to practically any geometry and even be used to coat multiple layers. It begs the question, why are more people not using this technology over traditional coating methods. Some people have cottoned on to this technique and it is used to protect components in the semiconductor industry, but it is not currently used as much as it could be.

Cavitation Technology

This is a family of technologies. You may be familiar with ultrasound being used to image a baby, but ultrasound and other cavitation technologies can be used in many applications. Cavitation’s are high energy voids that are introduced by an instrument, such as a sonication probe or a laser, and then implode creating a high-speed jet within a liquid. 

Cavitation’s are used in processing plants, the food industry and biomedical research, but it rarely extends to the core of nanotechnology. Cavitation’s can introduce templated binding sites once the void has imploded and can provide high shearing and milling capabilities by directing the cavitation energy.

Whilst there are many ultrasonic probes on the market that can produce acoustic cavitation’s, there are a small number companies who are really pushing the boat out with innovative cavitation technologies, especially for the nanotechnology industry. The applications of cavitation technologies may be more niche in the nanotechnology space, but cavitation voids have been proven to speed up chemical reactions, which is a bonus for some reactions that take place in the nanotechnology space.

In short, there are many technologies out in the nanotechnology space that aren’t as well documented as graphene, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. Whilst these are only a couple of examples, many areas of nanotechnology require more credit than they currently get.

If you would like more information on companies at the forefront of ALD or Cavitation technology, you should get in touch with The World Nano Foundation - Email contact: andrea.crawley@worldnanofoundation.com 

Nanotechnology's fact, fiction or fake news?

For many years, we have read numerous reports about the commercialisation of nanotechnology, or lack of, from sources ranging academic research papers to the commercial and consumer media.

Almost every week there’s another report about the size of the market, or several patents coming out of the likes of the US and China, but are we starting to see a new breed of entrepreneur who are seizing the commercial opportunities yet to be exploited in nanotechnology? 

In my capacity as Chairman of The World Nano Foundation, I see first-hand how an expanding group of entrepreneurs are taking nanotechnology products to markets, often utilizing IP which has previously sat idle in the patent libraries. In the last six months, we have witnessed companies securing multi-million (even billion) dollar deals in the across the world.   

International Climate The USA has always led in nanotechnology investment, but we have recently seen large economies, such as China, move towards a more innovation-driven economy, which has led to a growing interest, and investment, in the commercialisation of nanotechnology. I have also seen first-hand how countries such as those in the Middle-East are looking to invest heavily in nano innovations, as they try to divest outside their traditional oil based commodities.  

China, for example, has realised that to maintain its double-digit growth annually, it needs to divert some of its 10 million+ manufacturers into collaborating with western nanotechnology innovation. Opening their own markets to new partners from around the globe is key to their strategy. 

China’s one belt, one road global expansion policy, is driving international  collaboration, investment and innovation across the country to solve economic, social and environmental issues. Last year, China filed more US patents in nanotechnology than the US itself and invested more in technology in the US by June 2016 than US investors did in the whole of the previous year. The US have however, announced further ongoing multi-billion-dollar investment in Nanotechnology research through their NNI programme in 2017, with much more emphasis on real commercialisation of these initiatives. Notably, we have seen the likes of Boston and Chicago become a beacon for commercialisation, even stealing ground from innovation centers such as Silicon Valley.   

Investors and Executors We are also seeing a new breed of engaged investors, uninterested in old VC models of funding, backing innovators who can execute in commercial markets and develop brands with strong IP, manufacturing capability and scale up. The money’s there, the proven technology is there, but finding those that can execute their visions; those successfully building markets and brands in the global arena of nanotechnology is where we currently see the biggest gap. 

The investment environment’s right, the technology is right, but the understanding of how to access and market oneself across different regions is key to the commercial success stories coming through over the next few years and beyond.  Many investors, family offices and philanthropists are making much larger strategic investments in nanotechnology projects than ever before. The big questions that always need satisfying though are “Is your market accessible or is there a big gorilla on the patch who won’t take kindly to you taking their banana?  “Does the team have the market knowledge as well as the technical knowledge?  “Is the IP strong and can you build a brand that can access a global market?”  If the answer is yes to all these questions, then we know that the investment is viable. Often it is not the best mouse trap innovation that wins the day it is those that understand and can commercialise all the regional markets around the world.  So, nanotechnology innovations are going to change our world for generations to come, but only if they have the people with the vision, determination and know-how of executing a commercial plan not just a set of proven research papers and that’s fact not fiction.

Written by World Nano Foundation's Chairman, Paul Stannard.

Smart Money Meets Smart Ideas At Global Summit

It's just over a fortnight since the World Nano Summit took place at Business Rocks 2016. The entire event was a resounding success, with a wide variety of engaging speakers, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Among the sessions at Business Rocks, was a main stage panel discussion focused on commercialising nanotechnology through smart investment. We heard from a number of innovative and experienced nanotechnology experts, a number of whom featured on the panel, including Dr. Anita Goel M.D. Ph.D. and Dr. Su Metcalfe. The World Nano Summit also had a number of speakers, talking about everything from combating Multiple Sclerosis to R&D tax credits, and will soon be going global alongside Business Rocks.

The main stage also hosted the likes of Steve Wozniak, who spoke about the future of Apple and technology to a jam-packed audience, and Priceline founder, Jeff Hoffman, a motivational speaker and serial entrepreneur. A number of global media outlets covered the event including Sky News, who interviewed the Apple founder and Dr. Anita Goel M.D. Ph.D. in the following video:

For more info visit www.worldnanosummit.com

7 Ways Nanotechnology Could Provide The Solutions To Combat Climate Change

This week we saw global leaders come together in Paris, with the goal of reaching a new international agreement on climate change, applicable to all, to keep global warming below 2°C. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is aiming to keep global temperature rises comparable to pre-industrial levels and adapt our societies to existing disruption, and nanotechnology will be one of the key sciences in order to enable and disrupt to make this goal a reality. 

Here we look at the 7 ways that nanotechnology can help to combat and possibly stop climate change.

1. Lightweight nano-composite materials - Any effort to reduce emissions in vehicles by reducing their weight , in turn, decreasing fuel consumption can have an immediate and significant global impact. It is estimated that a 10% reduction in weight of the vehicle corresponds to a 10% reduction in fuel consumption, leading to a proportionate fall in emissions. In recognition of the above, there is growing interest worldwide in exploring means of achieving weight reduction in automobiles through use of novel materials. For example, use of lighter, stronger, and stiffer nano-composite materials is considered to have the potential to significantly reduce vehicle weight. 

2. Nano-coatings - Nanotechnology coatings are a good short-term way of reducing emissions and and maximizing clean energy production. For example, nano-coatings can be applied to aircraft, which can make aircraft's smoother, reducing drag and also protect the materials from the special conditions of the environment where they are used (instead of the conventional bulk metals such as steel). Since the amount of CO2 emitted by an aircraft engine is directly related to the amount of fuel burned, CO2 can be reduced by making the airplane lighter. Hydrophobic nano-coatings can also improve the energy produced from solar panels for example.

3. Nanocatalysts - Nanotechnology is already applied to improve fuel efficiency by incorporation of nanocatalysts. Enercat, a third generation nanocatalyst developed by Energenics, uses the oxygen storing cerium oxide nanoparticles to promote complete fuel combustion, which helps in reducing fuel consumption. Recently, the company has demonstrated fuel savings of 8%–10% on a mixed fleet of diesel vehicles in Italy. Reducing friction and improving wear resistance in engine and drive train components is of vital importance in the automotive sector. Based on the estimates made by a Swedish company Applied Nano Surfaces, reducing friction can lower the fuel consumption by about 2% and result in cutting down CO2 emissions by 500 million tons per year from trucks and other heavy vehicles in Sweden alone.

4. Nano-structured Materials - Thanks to nanomaterials like silica, many tires will in the future be capable of attaining the best energy rating, the green category. Cars equipped with category A tires consume approximately 7.5% less fuel than those with tires of the minimum standard (category G). Residential and commercial buildings contribute to 11% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Space heating and cooling of residential buildings account for 40% of the total residential energy use. Nanostructured materials, such as aerogels, have the potential to greatly reduce heat transfer through building elements and assist in reducing heating loads placed on air-conditioning/heating systems. Aerogel is a nanoporous super-insulating material with extremely low density; silica aerogel is the lightest solid material known with excellent thermal insulating properties, high temperature stability, very low dielectric constant and high surface area.

5. Improved Renewables - Nanotechnology may accelerate the technology behind renewables in various ways:experts are discovering means to apply nanotechnology to photovoltaics, which would produce solar panels with double or triple the output by 2020; wind turbines stand to be improved from high-performance nano-materials like graphene, a nano-engineered one-atom thick layer of mineral graphite that is 100 times stronger than steel. Nanotechnology will enable light and stiff wind blades that spin at lower wind speeds than regular blades;nanotechnology could play a major role in the next generation of batteries. For example, coating the surface of an electrode with nanoparticles increases the surface area, thereby allowing more current to flow between the electrode and the chemicals inside the battery. 

6. Batteries - Such techniques could increase the efficiency of electric and hybrid vehicles by significantly reducing the weight of the batteries. Nanotechnology is positioned to create significant change across several domains, especially in energy where it may bring large and possibly sudden performance gains to renewable sources and Smart Grids. Nanotech enhancements may also increase battery power by orders of magnitude, allowing intermittent sources such as solar and wind to provide a larger share of overall electricity supply without sacrificing stability.

Moreover, superior batteries would complement renewables by storing energy economically, thus offsetting the whole issue of intermittent generation.In a somewhat more distant future, we may see electricity systems apply nanotechnology in transmission lines. Research indicates that it is possible to develop electrical wires using carbon nanotubes that can carry higher loads and transmit without power losses even over hundreds of kilometers. The implications are significant, as it would increase the efficiency of generating power where the source is easiest to harness. Semiconductor devices, transistors, and sensors will benefit from nanotechnology especially in size and speed. 

7. Nanotech sensors - Sensors could be used for the Smart Grid to detect issues ahead of time, ie, to measure degrading of underground cables or to bring down the price of chemical sensors already available for transformers. Nanotechnology will likely become indispensable for the Smart Grid to fully evolve in the near future. Energy efficiency is a way of managing and restraining the growth of energy consumption. It is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to combat climate change, improve the competitiveness of businesses, and reduce energy costs for consumers.