The Change Mariner

As Nanotechnology Gains Visibility, Venture Capital Begins Coming In

New York Times:

Nanotechnology draws its name from the nanometer, which is a billionth of a meter, or 100,000 times as thin as a human hair. Individual molecules, tiny organisms like viruses and the smallest features of products like microchips operate in a nanoscale landscape.

Many industries used nanoscale products and processes decades before the term nanotechnolgy became a recognized concept on Wall Street. In the 1930's, for example, Kodak figured out how to insert a layer of nanoscale silver particles in its film to filter light. But nanotechnology did not catch the fancy of investors until the 1990's, when ingenious new software and computer-controlled tools expanded the possibilities for manipulating small-scale processes, designing new materials and accurately measuring their performance.

The new generation of nanomaterials is already taking commercial root. Nanoscale clay particles strengthen car bodies. Coatings made with aluminum-titanium nanoparticles add to the durability of boiler components and submarine periscopes for the Navy. Carbon nanotubes add stiffness to Babolat tennis rackets. And pants are being made with techniques that alter the structure of cotton to create nanoscale whiskers that make the fabric more stain resistant.

Analysts say that such developments are simply a hint of what is to come in nanotech.