Nonmaterial includes glass which is made into windows furthermore; there are other uses for nanoscience such as:
Some read computer data stored on CD-ROMs. Others are found insidecellular phones, pagers, medicines and replacement tissues and automobile tires; still others are part of lasers with accurate wavelengths, advanced chemicals, sensors, air bags and automobile engines.
Nanocomposites are materials that can be added to plastic to make it stronger, stiffer and lighter.
In conclusion, nanoscience is really important within the society as it enables us to study tiny particles.
3 Science and applications
3.1 Introduction
1 In this chapter we provide an overview of some key
current developments in nanoscience and
nanotechnologies, and highlight some possible future
applications. The chapter is informed by evidence from
scientists and engineers in academia and industry. It
illustrates the wide-ranging interest in these areas and
provides a background to the later chapters, which
address health, environmental, social, ethical and
regulatory implications of nanotechnologies. It does not
consider in detail the developments in nanoscience and
nanotechnologies in all scientific and engineering fields.
2 As nanoscience and nanotechnologies cover such a
wide range of fields (from chemistry, physics and
biology, to medicine, engineering and electronics), we
have considered them in four broad categories:
nanomaterials; nanometrology; electronics,
optoelectronics and information and communication
technology; and bio-nanotechnology and
nanomedicine. This division helps to distinguish
between developments in different fields, but there is
naturally some overlap.
3 Where possible, we define the development of
future applications as short term (under 5 years),
medium term (5–15 years), and long term (over
20years). It may be that some of the potential
applications that we identify are never realised, whereas
others that are currently unforeseen could have a major
impact. We also identify potential in environmental,
health and safety, ethical or societal implications or
uncertainties that are discussed further in later chapters.
4 Current industrial applications of nanotechnologies
are dealt with in Chapter 4, as are the factors that will
influence their application in the future.
3.2 Nanomaterials
3.2.1 Introduction to nanomaterials
5 A key driver in the development of new and
improved materials, from the steels of the 19th century
to the advanced materials of today, has been the ability
to control their structure at smaller and smaller scales.
The overall properties of materials as diverse as paints
and silicon chips are determined by their structure at the
micro- and nanoscales. As our understanding of
materials at the nanoscale and our ability to control
their structure improves, there will be great potential to
create a range of materials with novel characteristics,
functions and applications.
6 Although a broad definition, we categorise
nanomaterials as those which have structured
components with at least one dimension less than
100nm. Materials that have one dimension in the
nanoscale (and are extended in the other two dimensions)
are layers, such as a thin films or surface coatings. Some
of the features on computer chips come in this category.
Materials that are nanoscale in two dimensions (and
extended in one dimension) include nanowires and
nanotubes. Materials that are nanoscale in three
dimensions are particles, for example precipitates, colloids
and quantum dots (tiny particles of semiconductor
materials). Nanocrystalline materials, made up of
nanometre-sized grains, also fall into this category. Some
of these materials have been available for some time;
others are genuinely new. The aim of this chapter is to
give an overview of the properties, and the significant
foreseeable applications of some key nanomaterials.
7 Two principal factors cause the properties of
nanomaterials to differ significantly from other
materials: increased relative surface area, and quantum
effects. These factors can change or enhance properties
such as reactivity, strength and electrical characteristics.
As a particle decreases in size, a greater proportion of
atoms are found at the surface compared to those
inside. For example, a particle of size 30 nm has 5% of
its atoms on its surface, at 10 nm 20% of its atoms, and
at 3 nm 50% of its atoms. Thus nanoparticles have a
much greater surface area per unit mass compared with
larger particles. As growth and catalytic chemical
reactions occur at surfaces, this means that a given mass
of material in nanoparticulate form will be much more
reactive than the same mass of material made up of
larger particles.
8 In tandem with surface-area effects, quantum
effects can begin to dominate the properties of matter
as size is reduced to the nanoscale. These can affect the
optical, electrical and magnetic behaviour of materials,
particularly as the structure or particle size approaches
the smaller end of the nanoscale. Materials that exploit
these effects include quantum dots, and quantum well
lasers for optoelectronics.
9 For other materials such as crystalline solids, as the
size of their structural components decreases, there is
much greater interface area within the material; this can
greatly affect both mechanical and electrical properties.
For example, most metals are made up of small
crystalline grains; the boundaries between the grain
slow down or arrest the propagation of defects when
the material is stressed, thus giving it strength. If these
grains can be made very small, or even nanoscale in
size, the interface area within the material greatly
The Royal
