For most of us, a foldable, millimeter-thick television or a car that can repair its own dents seems like a scene from a science-fiction film - but not for Dr. Bing Zhou, who specializes in research and development of nanotechnology at Headwaters NanoKinetix. Thanks to Dr. Zhou, these far-out technologies may be closer than we think.
Dr. Zhou, who has been working in nanotechnology for 15 years, has developed a new process of chemical production at the nano-scale - billionths of a meter. His unique process controls and maintains the size, composition, structure and stability of nano-scale materials that are environmentally friendly and economically attractive - two terms not often found together - as well as generations ahead of current technology. It is this process that will allow vast improvements in products.
Imagine a personal wristwatch capable of instantly reporting your cholesterol and insulin levels and other vital signs (through a skin-contact nano-device) and providing early detection of cancer and heart disease. Imagine purer drugs with fewer side effects and faster, more efficient delivery within the body. And these are only a few of the advancements in what may eventually be dubbed the "nanotechnology revolution."
"The application of this technology to any product will have a dramatic effect on the way people live their lives," says Dr. Zhou. "Like the advent of the jet engine and the Internet, this will revolutionize the way we live."
Yet another unique characteristic separates Headwaters NanoKinetix and its lead scientist from other nanotechnology companies - Dr. Zhou's process can be tailored for large-scale commercial use.
Also, existing methods of nanotechnology application are very expensive. "You are talking about $1000 per gram (of product)," says Zhou, "but my process, applied on a mass-production-scale would bring the cost down to more like 1 cent per gram." As a result, average people will be able to afford the self-repairing cars and foldable, paper-thin televisions in the future.
"When I began researching in this field in the early 1990's, there wasn't even really a name for it," says Zhou. "Anyone working with molecules was, by definition, working at the nano-scale...People like me working at the atomic level were becoming promoters and champions of nanotechnology, though no one exactly recognized it at the time."
We may not recognize it right now but thanks to Dr. Zhou, people will soon benefit from his work in many aspects of their daily lives.
