Everyday products
Nano is already in ordinary things: the clear zinc in mineral sunscreen, the crystals that color some TV screens, coatings on glass and fabric. Some products depend on it; others use "nano" as a selling word. We say which.
5 technologies tracked here, by how far each has got.
From lab to your life
Where each one stands
Every technology sits on the step its dated, sourced milestones support, never where its makers hope it will be. Open one to see why it's there.
- 5Everyday lifeIt is probably already in your life.
- Gold nanoparticle rapid testsHome testHome pregnancy tests and COVID-19 rapid tests are lateral flow tests: the sample soaks along a strip.The UK government said more than 2 billion lateral flow tests had been provided across the UK since 2020.
- Quantum dot TVsDisplay materialQuantum dots are semiconductor crystals a few nanometers across.Samsung had sold about 44 million QLED TVs since launching the line in 2017, including 8.31 million in 2023.
- Titanium dioxide food whitener (E171)Food additiveE171 is titanium dioxide used as a food coloring, to make foods white and opaque.The EU ban took full effect: food made or sold in the EU after August 7, 2022 cannot contain titanium dioxide.
- 4Approved or on saleYou can get it now, though it may not be common yet.
- Nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sunscreenSunscreen ingredientMineral sunscreens block UV light with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, and many use these minerals as nanoparticles.The European Commission approved zinc oxide, in nano and non-nano form, as a UV filter in cosmetics at up to 25%.
- Self-cleaning glassGlass coatingSelf-cleaning glass has a clear coating of titanium oxide about 50 nanometers thick.Pilkington launched Activ, the world's first self-cleaning glass.
- 3Real-world testingCould reach you in a few years if the tests go well.
- Nothing we track here is at this step yet.
- 2Working prototypeStill years away; many prototypes stall here.
- Nothing we track here is at this step yet.
- 1Lab discoveryUsually 10 years or more from products, and most never get there.
- Nothing we track here is at this step yet.
On the record
The latest steps
The most recent dated events for everything in this topic, newest first, each with its source.
- Widely usedCompany-reported
Quantum dot TVs
Samsung had sold about 44 million QLED TVs since launching the line in 2017, including 8.31 million in 2023.
Asia Economy, 19 Feb 2024 - On the record
Quantum dot TVs
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.
Samsung Newsroom, 4 Apr 2025 - Setback
E171
The EU ban took full effect: food made or sold in the EU after August 7, 2022 cannot contain titanium dioxide.
Food Safety Authority of Ireland, 15 July 2022 - Widely used
Rapid tests
The UK government said more than 2 billion lateral flow tests had been provided across the UK since 2020.
The Pharmaceutical Journal, 22 Feb 2022 - Safety
E171
The EU withdrew titanium dioxide's approval as a food additive (Regulation 2022/63), with six months for food makers to phase it out.
Food Safety Authority of Ireland, 15 July 2022 - Widely used
E171
The EU's food safety agency found E171 widely eaten, mainly in baking ingredients, soups, sauces and sandwich spreads.
Just Food, 7 May 2021 - Safety
E171
The European Food Safety Authority concluded that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive, because it could not rule out damage to DNA (genotoxicity) after the particles are eaten.
Just Food, 7 May 2021 - Safety
Mineral sunscreen
The European Commission added nano zinc oxide to the list of UV filters allowed in cosmetics, at up to 25%, after the committee's review.
CosmeticsDesign Europe, May 2016
Who makes it
The companies behind it
Who is building what we track in this topic. Where a company's own filings say how much of its business is nano, we show it.
- 005930KRXSamsung Electronics
Began making chips with gate-all-around transistors in 2022, and sells quantum dot TVs.
We track:Nanosheet transistorsQuantum dot TVs