Professor S. Subbiah, Vice Chancellor of Alagappa University said nanotechnology was emerging as the sixth revolution in the current era as no research was possible without the help of the technology, which played a crucial role in almost all fields of science.

Addressing a two-day national seminar on “Nanomaterials for specialised applications,” organised by the department of Nano Science and Technology here on Thursday, he said after the Biotechnology revolution of 1990s, nanotechnology was becoming very popular nowadays.

The technology helped to produce nanomaterials that were more durable, effective and economical, he said adding “no research is possible without the help of nanotechnology because today it plays a crucial role in almost all fields of science.”

India's nano mission project

Pointing out that 90 % of the nano-based products and patents have come from China, Germany, France, Japan, Switzerland, South Korea and USA, he said India has invested huge amount through the Nano mission project to bring in developments in the spheres of agriculture, textile technology, medicine, electronics and aerospace.

Vijayamohanan K Pillai, Director, CSIR-CECRI, in his inaugural address, highlighted the recent advances of nano science and technology in the fields of biotechnology, environmental remediation, sensors and semiconductors.

The multifunctional application of nano material in industries played a great role in improving the economy of the country, he said.

Prof R Renganathan, UGC-Emeritus Fellow, School of Chemistry, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchi, in his address, emphasised the need for fabricating nano-materials that could pave the way for making novel nano-devices with significantly improved performance.

“Nanotechnology is expected to be one of the next drivers of technology-based business and economic growth,” and emphasized the need for product-based research from laboratory to end users.

Awareness

Professor K. Gurunathan, Head, Department of Nano Science and Technology said the objective of the seminar was to create awareness on the significance of nanotechnology applications in various fields.