Applications of Nanoparticles
- The main industrial application of nanoparticles is in catalysis due to their high surface area to volume ratios
- Titanium dioxide is a good example of how the same chemical has different properties in bulk and nanoparticle form
- Titanium dioxide in nanoparticle form is used in sunscreens as it blocks UV light but leaves no white marks on the skin while also providing better coverage than other suncreams
- The same chemical in bulk form is used as a white pigment in paints
- Fullerenes are used in medicine and drug design as they are more easily absorbed than other particles and can deliver drugs to target areas more effectively
- Fullerenes are also used in electronic circuitry and as coatings for artificial limbs and joints
- Nanoparticles of silver are sprayed onto the fibres of medical clothing and surgical masks which gives them the flexibility of a material but with the added benefit of the antibacterial properties of silver metal
