🚀 go-pugleaf

hagerman@ece.cmu.edu (John Hagerman) writes:

>How might nanotechnology contribute to
>bulk chemical processes?

A major benfit could be the prototyping and manufacture of 
catalysts.  Catalysts need to have molecular structures 
precisely designed to trap certain kinds of molecules, let 
others flow through, and keep still others out, all without 
getting clogged or poisoned.  Currently these catalysts are 
built by either by growing crystals with a reasonable spacing
in bulk, or by producing enzymes via biotech.  Often it
is not possible to make catalysts with the proper molecular
shapes via the current methods.  But when it is, the payoffs 
can be big.

For example, a combination of these techniques was used to
turn corn starch into high-fructose corn syrup for a major
bulk market, soda pop.  The _Streptomyces_ enzyme glucose 
isomerase is glued to a ceramic support using a polymer that 
lets the enzyme keep its shape.  The entire system has to be 
molecularly precise, but must be made in bulk instead of optimally 
crafted.  Despite the crude method the results are phenomenal -- 
one pound of the ceramic/polymer/enzyme structure will catalyze the
production of 14-18 tons of fructose before the enzyme loses its 
activity. 

Within this millenium (only 7.2 years left!) I predict we will 
start to see catalysts prototyped by new techniques of nanolithography, 
including AFM machining, AFM arrays and nanoresists.  See my previous 
article, "Nanolithography" for a description of some of these 
methods.  Early in the next century catalysts may be mass-produced
by these processes.  Catalysts are critical to the oil industry, the 
chemical industry and to pollution control -- the worldwide market 
is in the $10's of billions per year and growing rapidly.

Beyond new catalysts, I see a big market for micro-chemical
reactors in artificial organs to produce various biological
molecules.  For example, they might replace or augment the
functionality of the kidneys, pancreas, liver, thyroid gland,
etc.  They might produce psychoactive chemicals inside the
blood-brain barrier.  Microplants in space could manufacture 
propellant, various industrial inputs and to perform life support 
functions more efficiently.  Over 95% of the mass we now launch 
into space could be replaced by these materials produced from 
comets, asteroids, Mars, etc.  Even if Drexler's self-replicating 
assemblers are a long time in coming, nanolithographed tiny chemical 
reactors could open up the solar system.


Nick Szabo					 szabo@techboook.com