Nanoscale Materials

Nanoscale materials are materials with dimensions in the nanometer scale (1-100 nm), and are at the center of the field of nanotechnology. Nanoscale materials offer unique physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, making them important for a variety of applications such as drug delivery, electronic device fabrication, and energy conversion. At the nanoscale, materials can exhibit properties that are different from those at the macroscale. For example, nanomaterials can possess higher surface-to-volume ratios, modified electrical and optoelectronic properties, and improved mechanical strength. These distinctive properties enable nanomaterials to be used in a variety of applications, such as catalysis, drug delivery, energy conversion, and biosensing. Nanomaterials can be divided into two main categories: bottom-up and top-down. Bottom-up nanomaterials are synthesized using chemical methods, and are characterized by their controlled size and composition. Top-down nanomaterials are produced by physical methods, such as lithography, etching, and milling. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages, and are used for different applications. Nanomaterials are being used increasingly in many fields, such as electronics, biomedicine, and energy storage. For example, nanomaterials are used in the fabrication of transistors, solar cells, and batteries. In biomedicine, nanomaterials are used for targeted drug delivery and for imaging.