Chapter 4 - Nanostructures: categories, formation procedures, and synthesis

Abstract

Nanomaterials are the products of nanotechnology. They are characterized by their small sizes—with a dimension of less than 100nm—and play an essential role in the fabrication of numerous devices and modified materials. This is because of their unique physical and chemical properties, such as their high surface area-to-volume ratio and good mechanical properties. This chapter provides an analysis of the types of nanomaterials and discusses the synthesis procedures used to form nanoparticles. The chapter also provides an introduction to the science and engineering of nanomaterials and their classifications, with some examples.