The program Conciencia 24/7, on Canal 24 Horas, recently aired a report dedicated to the amazing world of nanotechnology and its applications, discussing how this field of knowledge is transforming key sectors such as construction, medicine and electronics.
The report featured the director of the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CEDENNA) and 2019 National Prize for Exact Sciences winner, Dora Altbir, and CEDENNA researcher and director of the Institute of Basic Sciences at Universidad Diego Portales, Roberto Lavín, who explained clearly and didactically how nanoscience makes it possible to study and manipulate matter at extremely small scales, between 1 and 100 nanometers, where materials acquire completely new properties.
One of the examples highlighted in the report is the development of new construction materials capable of combining mechanical strength and thermal insulation, something that does not occur naturally in traditional materials. Through nanotechnology, it is possible to design lightweight structural concrete that maintains the strength of conventional concrete but with far superior thermal performance, contributing to more efficient and sustainable buildings.
The report also delves into the work carried out in research laboratories in Chile, where scientists use highly complex equipment to observe, analyze and manufacture structures at the nanoscale. Atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopes and chemical analysis techniques make it possible to “see” what the human eye cannot, and to understand how materials behave at this invisible scale.
Beyond construction, nanotechnology has concrete applications in health, such as cancer treatments with fewer side effects and advances in vision therapies, and in everyday life, through brighter, more efficient and longer-lasting cell phone screens. As explained in the program, the true value of nanoscience lies in its ability to become nanotechnology: that is, real solutions to specific problems in society.
CEDENNA’s participation in this national science outreach program reinforces the Center’s commitment to bringing science closer to people, showcasing the work carried out in Chile and projecting the impact of frontier research on the country’s development.
