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Table 4 Applications of nanotechnology

From: Assessing the nanotechnology on the grounds of costs, benefits, and risks

S N.

Application

Example

1.

Energy storage, production, and conversion

Nanomaterials as catalysts for hydrogen production, carbon nanotubes for hydrogen storage and as composite coatings in solar cells, quantum dot-based light-emitting devices and photo-voltaic cells, grapheme-based ultra-capacitors, hybrid protein-polymer bio-mimetic membranes produced from protein hybrid polymer [29,30,31,32,33,34]

2.

Agricultural productivity enhancement

Nanocapsules for precision farming; nanoporous zeolites for the precise and sustained release of nutrients, pesticides, herbicides, drugs for livestock and plants, and efficient dosage management of water; nanosensors for monitoring of plants and soil health and pest control; nanomagnets for removing soil contaminants [35,36,37,38].

3.

Air and water remediation

Nanomembranes, metal oxide nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, nanosensors, nanoporous zeolites, and grapheme-based treatment structures or detection of pollutants and remediation of air and water [39,40,41,42,43].

4.

Disease diagnosis and drug delivery

Carbon nanotube sensors, quantum dots, conjugates of dendrimer and antibody, as the detection and diagnosis medical tools to act as sensors and in situ examinations of diseases and sustained drug release [44,45,46,47,48]

5.

Food storage and processing

Silver and zinc oxide nanomaterials for antimicrobial actions; nanoemulsions and nanocomposites for food-packaging, storing, and decontamination; silver, silica, selenium, iron, platinum, titanium dioxide, calcium, and magnesium as nanosupplements [49,50,51].

6.

Constructions

Nanomaterials for cost management, weathering management, and durability of coatings, paints, surfaces, concrete materials, adhesives, and photosensitivity of constructions [52,53,54,55]

7.

Social-security

Detection systems based on nanotechnology [56, 57]

8.

Academics

Improved communication systems through better band-width and lower cost [58]

9.

Beauty and cosmetic

Nano-based age-defying creams, ethosome- and liposome-based hair-care products, sunscreen lotions [59,60,61,62,63].

10.

Sports

Nanotechnology-based golf/tennis balls, bow-arrows, helmets for football, bats for baseball, racquets for badminton and tennis, racing bicycles, sticks for hockey, etc. [64, 65].

11.

Electronics

Nanocomputer and nanoprocessors, nanotech detectors, nanomemory devices and nano-based display systems, etc. [66,67,68,69,70]