Nanotechnology and the Future

Nanotechnology and the Future Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zahmakıran, Vice Rector of Bartın University and the 29th speaker at SUBÜ Talks, said, "Nanotechnology is the gateway to an uncharted sea. We chemists know the fundamental physical and chemical properties of metals. But when we reduce those same metals to nanometer scale, all the physical and chemical properties we know disappear." The 29th speaker at SUBÜ Talks, organized by Sakarya University of Applied Sciences (SUBÜ), was Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zahmakıran, Vice Rector of Bartın University, with a lecture titled 'Nanotechnology and the Future'. The discussion, moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Can, Faculty Member of SUBÜ's School of Technology, covered topics including Zahmakıran's education and research experience spanning Japan, France and the United States, the importance of nanotechnology, and the roles it may play in human life in coming years. Zahmakıran also offered advice to students.

"We Are Still at the Beginning"

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zahmakıran, Vice Rector of Bartın University, noted that nanotechnology is being used in a wide range of fields from agriculture to pharmaceutical manufacturing, from defense to the chemical industry. He said: "Nanotechnology is the gateway to an uncharted sea. We chemists know the fundamental physical and chemical properties of metals. But when we reduce those same metals to nanometer scale, all the physical and chemical properties we know disappear. They acquire new chemical and physical properties. For example, gold, which is yellow in bulk form, turns red at the nanoscale, and its electrical conductivity and brittleness become quite different. Such circumstances make the field even more attractive. New developments occur every day. However, we are still at the very beginning. Nanotechnology is one of the most serious technologies that brings together so many different scientific disciplines."

"There Are Steps That Give Us Encouragement"

Zahmakıran said that the most important obstacle currently restricting nanotechnology work in Turkey is the exchange rate, and added: "Besides that, when we look at instruments and materials, prices are very high. Some of our universities have laboratories. Researchers can purchase services from these facilities. However, there is rapid progress. For example, we have now reached the point where we can manufacture scanning optical imaging devices. It is a field very open to self-improvement. I visited a company in a support program of the Ministry of Industry and Technology. The company had started producing its own CVD ALD systems. These are steps that encourage us going forward. The Defense Industries Presidency's work in the nanotechnology field is also commendable. Currently there are multiple scanning teams there and well-trained young colleagues in their field. I think what the Defense Industries Presidency has done so far is not even a quarter of what they will do in the future. I have higher expectations."

"We Will Move Our Country Forward"

Zahmakıran emphasized that after receiving education abroad, one must return to Turkey with that excitement, motivation and the energy that youth provides. He said: "Currently there is a tendency among our young people to live abroad. The education system in our country, particularly at the university level, is truly in good standing. I sincerely believe that students graduating from our top 50 universities will easily pursue postgraduate education without difficulty at any European university they choose. I got on a plane from Boston and landed in Istanbul, then took another plane to Van. When I entered the laboratory at the university there for research purposes, I saw chemical reactions being conducted on earthen pots used for making eggs in village areas. Because there were no resources. A week earlier you are in a laboratory at one of the world's best universities where you can get whatever you need, and now you are coming to a laboratory with limited resources. Instead of sitting down and crying, you need to make an effort to change things. We will do this."