Nanotechnology

1 Introduction

1.1 Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

“There is Plenty of Room at the Bottom”

by the physician and Nobel prize winner Richard Feynman, 29.12.1959 1

Nanoscience and nanotechnology if a field of science and technology deal with syn-

thesis, study of properties and assembly and fabrication of structures and matter at the nano-

meter scale or sizes of about 1Ч10-9 to about 100Ч10-9 m. The relation from a nm to a meter is

like the diameter of a hazelnut to the diameter of the earth. The new effect of nanometer size

results in new properties2 and unique properties that are neither of bulk nor of

atomic/molecular. Some of these unique properties include:

• New quantum mechanical and quantum size effects

• Higher surface area that is useful for catalysis

• Molecular recognition

• Increased magnetic susceptibility

• Size and shape dependent optical absorption

“Bottom-up” synthetic methods involving self-assembly of atomic or molecular building

blocks into well-ordered nanostructures is getting more popularity among chemists in their

efforts to