One of the major applications of nanotechnology is in the area of nanoelectronics with MOSFET's being made of small nanowires ≈10 nm in length. Here is a simulation of such a nanowire.

Nanostructures provide this surface with superhydrophobicity, which lets water droplets roll down the inclined plane.

Nanowire lasers for ultrafast transmission of information in light pulses

As of August 21, 2008, the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies estimates that over 800 manufacturer-identified nanotech products are publicly available, with new ones hitting the market at a pace of 3–4 per week.  The project lists all of the products in a publicly accessible online database. Most applications are limited to the use of "first generation" passive nanomaterials which includes titanium dioxide in sunscreen, cosmetics, surface coatings,  and some food products; Carbon allotropes used to produce gecko tape; silver in food packaging, clothing, disinfectants and household appliances; zinc oxide in sunscreens and cosmetics, surface coatings, paints and outdoor furniture varnishes; and cerium oxide as a fuel catalyst. 

Further applications allow tennis balls to last longer, golf ballsto fly straighter, and even bowling balls to become more durable and have a harder surface. Trousers and socks have been infused with nanotechnology so that they will last longer and keep people cool in the summer. Bandages are being infused with silver nanoparticles to heal cuts faster.  Video game consoles and personal computers may become cheaper, faster, and contain more memory thanks to nanotechnology.  Also, to build structures for on chip computing with light, for example on chip optical quantum information processing, and picosecond transmission of information. 

Nanotechnology may have the ability to make existing medical applications cheaper and easier to use in places like the general practitioner's office and at home.  Cars are being manufactured with nanomaterials so they may need fewer metals and less fuel to operate in the future. 

Scientists are now turning to nanotechnology in an attempt to develop diesel engines with cleaner exhaust fumes. Platinum is currently used as the diesel engine catalyst in these engines. The catalyst is what cleans the exhaust fume particles. First a reduction catalyst is employed to take nitrogen atoms from NOx molecules in order to free oxygen. Next the oxidation catalyst oxidizes the hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide to form carbon dioxide and water.  Platinum is used in both the reduction and the oxidation catalysts.  Using platinum though, is inefficient in that it is expensive and unsustainable. Danish company InnovationsFonden invested DKK 15 million in a search for new catalyst substitutes using nanotechnology. The goal of the project, launched in the autumn of 2014, is to maximize surface area and minimize the amount of material required. Objects tend to minimize their surface energy; two drops of water, for example, will join to form one drop and decrease surface area. If the catalyst's surface area that is exposed to the exhaust fumes is maximized, efficiency of the catalyst is maximized. The team working on this project aims to create nanoparticles that will not merge. Every time the surface is optimized, material is saved. Thus, creating these nanoparticles will increase the effectiveness of the resulting diesel engine catalyst—in turn leading to cleaner exhaust fumes—and will decrease cost. If successful, the team hopes to reduce platinum use by 25%. 

Nanotechnology also has a prominent role in the fast developing field of Tissue Engineering. When designing scaffolds, researchers attempt to the mimic the nanoscale features of a Cell's microenvironment to direct its differentiation down a suitable lineage. For example, when creating scaffolds to support the growth of bone, researchers may mimic osteoclast resorption pits. 

Researchers have successfully used DNA origami-based nanobots capable of carrying out logic functions to achieve targeted drug delivery in cockroaches. It is said that the computational power of these nanobots can be scaled up to that of a Commodore 64. 

What type of advanced technology could create 

winter clothes that capture the body’s heat to help us stay warm, while also potentially cutting down on our home energy bills? 

The answer is nanotechnology?

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, researchers at Stanford University have developed a fabric with silver nanowires that can repurpose the body’s radiant heat. 

The nanomaterials used to make the fabric capture this heat while maintaining two very important qualities for clothes: 

breathability and washability. The fabric can generate more warmth by adding a very small amount of electricity – like a sweater with a charger. 

The researchers estimate that one person could save “about 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, or about what an average home uses in a month.”

The silver nanowire fabric is another classic example of how something so small can make a big difference by enhancing the performance of everyday items. And nowhere has this become more the case than in the world of nanotechnology. 

The WSJ article notes that nanotechnology is already being used to make garments shed water, kill microbes and block sunlight. 

Nanotech is also providing a platform for important breakthroughs in other areas like as health care, energy, national security, and information technology.

The American Chemistry Council’s Nanotechnology Panel promotes the responsible development of nanotechnology by advancing good product stewardship practices among nanomaterial producers and users.

 Panel members have the opportunity to help shape the industry’s positions on nanotechnology regulation, research, and stewardship practices and build relationships with other leaders in the field.