Tiny Technologies, Incredible Impact

From lightweight sports equipment to potable water, here are ten ways that nanotechnology is changing our lives.



#7 STAIN-RESISTANT MATERIALS

Taking cues from the humble lotus leaf, which uses nanosized hairs to repel water by promoting water droplet formation, nanomaterial coatings are similarly designed to make stain-causing liquids bead up and roll off.

Besides protecting clothing from stains, these nanocoatings have been applied to paint and other surface coating materials to improve drying times and stain resistance.


Photo: George Lu/Flickr/CC.
Photo: George Lu/Flickr/CC.

Dr Edward Chow is an assistant professor and junior principal investigator at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore. The Chow lab is interested in cancer stem cells (CSCs) and developing carbon-based nanoparticle drug-delivery platforms for enhanced diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

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