Delhi: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology is being hailed as one of the most exciting areas of science in the present age and key to solve several of our current and future problems. However, translational research in the newly emerging areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology is sophisticated, complex and expensive. Moreover, there are serious issues of ethical values and safety associated with these developments. In the view of above, the hype around the disciplines seems to overstate the applications of nanotechnology. This was the crux of talk on "Nanoscience and Technology, hype or hope?" delivered by Padamshree Prof. K. L. Chopra, renowned physicist and former Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur at Delhi Technological University (DTU), formerly Delhi College of Engineering, campus today.

Explaining that any material, living or non-living, having one, two or all three of its physical dimensions of nanometric size (i.e. billionth of a meter) is called nanomaterial, Prof. Chopra said, "By varying synthesis parameters during assembly of nanomatter, properties of the nanomatter can be tailored to create new, exotic, designer, composite and functional materials and associated devices. Nano-powder metallurgy, nano-structured silica-rubber composite tyres,flexible ceramics, paints,cosmetics, tooth paste, bhasmas, coated razor blades, micro and nano-electronics and VLSI, quantum metrology, thin-film solar cells, nano-MEMs, nanorobots, nano-optics, surface engineering etc are some of the familiar and well established examples of the applications (Nanotechnology) of nanomaterials."
 
He also spoke about the popular myths associated with nanoscience that it is a new science and technology, it's simple, cheap and uses low energy, and it is safe to work with nano powder, whereas in reality, nano particles in general are toxic and can affect skin on penetration. "The challenges in the field are development and availability of viable techniques for large scale production, techniques for measurements and analysis and techniques for protection and stability of nanodevices, among others," he added.
 
Prof. Chopra also shared the "nano mantra" – small is beautiful with the audience. "Fusin of biology with Physics & Chemistry on nanoscale is the new highway of science and technology," he concluded.

Prof. P.B. Sharma, Vice Chancellor, DTU welcomed Prof. Chopra by calling him a torch bearer of India's scientific community. The talk was attended by Prof. R.K. Sinha, Dean, IRD, Prof. G.L. Verma, Dean, Academics, faculty members and students of DTU in large numbers.
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