Nano Revolution: "Tiny tech, big impact: How nanotechnology is driving SDGs progress".

Nanotechnology has emerged as a powerful tool in addressing global challenges and advancing sustainable development. By manipulating materials at the nanoscale, researchers have unlocked new possibilities in various fields, including energy, healthcare, agriculture, construction, transportation, and environmental conservation. This paper explores the potential of nanotechnology and nanostructures in contributing to the achievement of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by improving energy efficiency and energy conversion, leading to a more sustainable and clean energy future, improving water purification processes, enabling access to clean drinking water for communities, enabling targeted drug delivery systems, early disease detection, and personalized medicine, thus revolutionizing healthcare, improving crop yields, efficient nutrient delivery systems, pest control mechanisms, and many other areas, therefore addressing food security issues. It also highlights the potential of nanomaterials in environmental remediation and pollution control. Therefore, by understanding and harnessing nanotechnology's potential, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders can work together toward a more sustainable future by achieving the 17 UN SDGs.

Analyzing the Mechanism of Zinc Oxide Nanowires Bending and Bundling Induced by Electron Beam under Scanning Electron Microscope Using Numerical and Simulation Analysis.

The bending effect of self-catalyst zinc oxide nanowires on a photoconducting behavior has been investigated by in-situ scanning electron microscope method and interpreted by analytical modeling. Zinc oxide NWs tend to incline due to geometric instability and because of the piezoelectric properties, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscope images. A cantilever bending model adequately describes the bending and bundling events, which are linked to the electrostatic interaction between nanowires. The light absorption of zinc oxide nanowires in the visible and near infrared bands has been modelled using the finite difference time domain method. The influence of the density of nanowires (25%, 50%, 75%) and the integration of plasmonic nanoparticles distributed on the seed layer (with varied radii) on the light absorption of zinc oxide nanowires was studied using simulation analysis. We have shown that the geometry of zinc oxide nanowires in terms of length, separation distance, and surface charge density affects the process of zinc oxide nanowires bending and bundling and that absorption will be maximized by integrating Au plasmonic nanoparticles with a radius of 10 nm.

Toward the Growth of Self-Catalyzed ZnO Nanowires Perpendicular to the Surface of Silicon and Glass Substrates, by Pulsed Laser Deposition.

Vertically-oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires were synthesized on glass and silicon substrates by Pulsed Laser Deposition and without the use of a catalyst. An intermediate c-axis oriented nanotextured ZnO seed layer in the form of nanowall network with honey comb structure allows the growth of high quality, self-forming, and vertically-oriented nanowires at relatively low temperature (<400 °C) and under argon atmosphere at high pressure (>5 Torr). Many parameters were shown to affect the growth of the ZnO nanowires such as gas pressure, substrate-target distance, and laser energy. Growth of a c-axis-crystalline array of nanowires growing vertically from the energetically favorable sites on the seed layer is observed. Nucleation occurs due to the matching lattice structure and the polar nature of the ZnO seed layer. Morphological, structural, and optical properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed highly c-axis aligned nanowires along the (002) crystal plane. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed a strong and narrow bandwidth of Ultraviolet (UV) emission, which shifts to lower wavelength with the increase of pressure.