Szczecin, 14.03.2011

Prof. Urszula Narkiewicz,

West Pomeranian University of Technology

Text prepared based on contributions of the participants of the First Polish Conference dedicated to industrial applications of Nanotechnology: Nanotechnologia PL, Warsaw, October 2010, http://science24.com/event/nanotechnologiaPL/

An evolution of man-made materials is one of the main factors enabling to measure a progress of humankind. When the structure of materials is formed at nanoscale, new phenomena appear and this is a core of nanotechnology, one of the most important driving forces for industry and science in XXI^st century. Nanotechnologies open new immense area of research and economy and their participation in global market increases significantly. In few years  the nanotechnology solutions will take an important part of global economy. Companies using only conventional technologies risk to be eliminate from the market by producers basing their strategy on low salaries. Nanotechnology has spectacular successes, marked by Nobel prizes, great revenues for companies and profits for society. Laboratories in countries investing in research and development have tasks connected with effective treatment of cancer illnesses, photovoltaics painted on the walls of houses or electric batteries of increased capacity for cars. Advances in nano-scale technologies will develop into mass markets in the coming years, with new products and services capable of improving the quality of life of citizens, enhancing human health, but also conserving resources and protecting the environment. All developed and dynamically developing countries invest intensively in nanotechnologies and governments create special programmes to support scientific research in this field.

Poland’s economy is rapidly growing and the country becomes one of the most attractive investments place. The scientific community, policymakers and general public are aware of needs to continuously improve the efficiency of R&D spending to increase the investment attractiveness of the country, in particular in nanotechnology as a dynamically emerging field. An increase of spending on R&D is observed in Poland and the level of scientific research devoted to nanotechnology, focused mainly on nanomaterials, their design, synthesis, characterisation and application, is rather good. The development of nanotechnologies in Polish science will be certainly soon accelerated, because of the very significant investments in the infrastructure recently, financed from structural funds. Nanotechnology centres will be soon build in Warsaw (investment of about 250 mln eu), Cracow (22 mln eu), Poznan (25 mln eu), Gdansk (16 mln eu), or in Szczecin (10 mln eu).

A first attempt for a national nanoscience and nanotechnology strategic plan has been expressed in the report “Strategy for the Reinforcement of Polish Research and Development Area in the Field of Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies”, written by the members of the “Interdisciplinary Committee for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology”, created by Ministry of Science and Higher Education in 2006. Polish Nanotechnology Platform created in 2008 proposed a strategic programme for Polish nanotechnology, based on the above mentioned Report and on the results of the project Foresight of Advanced Materials. According to the strategic programme proposed by the Platform, the future development of Polish nanotechnology is connected mainly with following areas:

POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES

Polymer nanocomposites are used in mine industry, civil engineering, aviation, transport, textile industry and medicine. Dispersion of nanoparticles in polymer matrix can assure non-flammability, impermeability, wear resistance, mechanical resistance, antibacterial properties. The success of a technology of depends on kind of interaction of nanoparticles with polymer.

NANOPARTICLES and NANOCERAMICS

A key issue is how to produce nanoparticles with desired size, form, surface structure and chemical composition. Nanoparticles can be:

• * dispersed in polymers,
• * applied as pigments and components of cosmetics
• * applied to mark documents and in printable electronics
• * applied in nanomedicine: carriers of drugs in targeted delivery, antibacterial treatment, biodiagnostics, resistant implants
• * applied in photonics, electronics, spintronics, optoelectrnics as sensors, saving energy light sources LED and cheap photovoltaics
• * applied in environment protection as biocide photocatalysts

NANOMETALS

A key issues are: production up-scale, knowledge of real properties in exploitation, knowledge of phenomena at nanoscale. Applications:

• * nanomedicine, increased resistance of implants and protetics
• * MEMS,
• * low-loss magnetic cores

INTELIGENT NANOSTRUCTURES AND NANO-BIOTECHNOLOGIES

A key issues is understanding of phenomena of interaction of photons, electrons, phonons and spins in nanosized structures as well as modelling of phenomena of interaction of molecules and atoms with surfaces. The topic contains such fields as spintronics, magnetic nanostructures, hetero-materials, metamaterials etc.

Applications:

• * sensors, biosensors and filters for environment protection,
• * storage, coding and transfer of data
• * lasers, detectors of radiation and LED

NANOLAYERS

A key issues is development of methods of deposition pf hetero-layers made of various materials, in order to reduce friction, to eliminate corrosion, to create thermal barriers and layers on architectural glass

Examples of  technologies to commercialise in  2-10 years are as follows: Polymer nanocomposites, Technologies of documents marking, self-cleaning paintings for construction, effective collectors for solar energy, new pigments and cosmetics with better colours and rheology, sensors for life protection, health and environment, drugs for targeted therapy, new reactors for nanopowders synthesis, new equipment for production of anticorrosion and thermally isolating coatings, new microscopes for investigation of structures at the atomic scale, centres of nanomaterials characterisation offering global world services, energy saving and durable light sources LED.

A significant number of companies are ready to co-finance the research.

According to the opinion of the Polish Nanotechnology Platform, the vision of the future involves:

• * Development of methods of materials building from nanoscale objects, as well as planning of their properties – mechanic, optic, electric, magnetic and thermodynamic.
• * Polish scientific teams and companies working together in about 10 „vertical” projects, from basic research to commercialisation, to reach a global level

Polish Nanotechnology Platform creates links between science and industry. Despite annual national nano-conferences, the first conference devoted especially to the Polish nano-companies, NanotechnologiaPL was organised in Warsaw in September 2010, in the frame of the Fall Meeting of the EMRS (European Materials Research Society).

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