Basics of Nanoscience, Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology

Abstract

With introduction to the present era of Nanoscience, nanomaterials, and nanotechnology, the first chapter of this book starts with the meaning of nano, nanoscale, and nanometer. The abstract of literature includes sections and subsections presented here as a sequential manuscript.  In brief, how the materials can differ in bulk material and nanomaterial depending on the size of particles as building blocks has been explained by taking some examples. Remarkable changes in physical and chemical properties of the same material in its bulk and nanoform depending on particle size of material has been illustrated. The difference between nanoscience and nanotechnology has also been given. The reduction in particle size (dimensions) let's classify the nanomaterials as 3D, 2d, 1D and 0D materials. By defining properly with figures, it has been tried to classify nanomaterials. In the section of morphology, readers will find the literature on what morphology is, how morphology helps to classify the synthesized nanomaterials, and the importance of morphology for researchers and scientists to find the proper application field for synthesized nanomaterial. Brief introduction to electron microscopes, SEM and TEM, to examine the morphology of nanomaterial has been given and its detail theory has been given in the chapter 2. Some examples of nanomaterial’s morphology are also given. Later, the manuscript covers two main methods for the synthesis of nanomaterial, top-down and bottom-up approaches with their advantages and disadvantages. Particle size dependence of the physical and chemical properties of the nanomaterials has been given in brief. The special features of nanomaterial such as surface to volume ratio, quantum confinement and reduced structural imperfection or defects are specified. Then, special emphasis has been given on particle size dependent physical properties of nanomaterials such as structural, thermal, magnetic, optical, electronic, electrical properties with cause behind the respective property. The special features such as surface area to volume ratio, quantum confinement becomes dominant with reduction in particle size of nanomaterial has been explained by solving some numerical problems. Then the theory on the nanocluster has been delivered in detail. The first chapter has been ended by theory on 2D nanomaterial (Quantum wells), 1D nanomaterial (Quantum wires), 0D nanomaterial (Nanoparticles - Nanoclusters, Quantum dots and Buckyballs) with detailed theory on some special nanomaterials, viz, fullerenes – (0D nanomaterial), carbon nanotubes (CNTs - 1D nanomaterial) and graphene (2D nanomaterial). The second chapter of this book starts with an introduction to nanotechnology, including what nanotechnology is, its origin, when the idea of nanotechnology became popular, its advantages, aim and important aspects of nanotechnology. Later, by introducing two main methods (top-down and bottom-up) for the preparation of nanomaterial, the gas (vapor) phase fabrication and liquid phase fabrication are highlighted as the two methods belong to the bottom-up approach. Under the heading of bottom-up approach, the theory on various methods for the synthesis of nanomaterials such as chemical vapour deposition (CVD - Gas Phase Fabrication), Sol-gel method and hydrolyzed colloid reaction (HCR) technique (wet chemical methods - Liquid Phase Fabrications) has been explained in detail. Detailed explanation on particle size determination of nanomaterial using BET theory and using Debye - Scherrer method for X-Ray diffraction pattern has been delivered. Then, the s theory on electron microscope, detail theory on scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), all about examining the morphology and internal structure of nanomaterial, have been presented. The second chapter ended by some application of nanomaterials in the various fields, challenges in nanotechnology and solved numerical problems.