Understanding nanomaterials

Nanomaterials are a class of materials where the individual units have at least one dimension below 100 nanometers. They can be made of any element and are commonly classed into organic (carbon based), inorganic (non-carbon based), and hybrid (which combine the two) materials. They appear in nature, with nanostructures giving butterfly wings their iridescence and gecko’s footpads their sticking power. Nanomaterials can be discreet structures, like nanoparticles or nanotubes, or patterned structures attached to a surface.

Nanomaterials have attracted significant research interest because of the unique properties that emerge at the nanometer scale. These properties range from high surface area for chemical reactions, to unique surface structures, to different ways of interacting with light. The precise nature of nanomaterial behavior depends on the specific material.

Developing an understanding of how to create and tune nanomaterials enables scientists to take advantage of their unique properties for a wide range of applications. A variety of techniques exist for generating nanomaterials, which include solution-based synthesis, vapor deposition techniques, and electrolysis. Finding ways to controllably and efficiently produce nanomaterials with atomically precise control remains an ongoing challenge in the field.

Nanomaterials are a broad class of materials, leading to equally broad potential applications. Nanomaterials are already present in commercial products, from nanocrystals in high-end displays to carbon nanotubes in bicycle components. Researchers are currently investigating nanomaterials for use in solar panels, as targeted drug delivery systems, and as catalysts for a wide range of chemical reactions. The ability to tailor nanomaterials size and properties to suit a specific application makes nanomaterials an exciting and powerful area of research.

Humans have unknowingly used nanomaterials for millennia, particularly in glassmaking. The color in the glass of the 4th century Lycurgus Cup has been attributed to small amounts of gold and silver nanoparticles embedded in the glass. Michael Faraday hypothesized the existence of and successfully synthesized gold nanoparticles in the 1850s, but confirmation of the exact nature of the particles only occurred after the development of electron microscopes. Richard Feynman’s 1959 lecture, “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom,” marked a call toward the development of nanoscience and has become an intellectual touchstone in the decades since its publication. The advent of electron microscopes in the 20th century, particularly the higher microscopes developed in the 1980s, enabled the detailed study of nanomaterials and accelerated research. The field has expanded rapidly because of the swift increases in available experimental techniques for studying nanomaterials.

Nanomaterials have increasing relevance in medicine. For example, the outside of a nanoparticle can be functionalized to bind to a particular type of cell or cellular structure. They can then be used as dyes for imaging or for drug delivery, depending on the system and need. Nanomaterials also frequently have different toxicological concerns than bulk materials, and significant research has explored their safety for medical use.

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