Modern Concepts in Nanotechnology

Description

Nanotechnology deals with small structures and small-sized materials of dimensions in the range of few nanometers to less than 100 nanometers. The unit of nanometer derives its prefix nano from a Greek word meaning extremely small. The technology includes study of synthetic methods, change in properties of material and problems related to surface or interface. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small things and can be used across all the other science fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering. Molecular nanotechnology, sometimes called molecular manufacturing, is a term given to the concept of engineered nanosystems (nanoscale machines) operating on the molecular scale. It is especially associated with the concept of a molecular assembler, a machine that can produce a desired structure or device atom-by-atom using the principles of mechanosynthesis. Manufacturing in the context of productive nanosystems is not related to, and should be clearly distinguished from, the conventional technologies used to manufacture nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles. When the term “nanotechnology” was independently coined and popularized by Eric Drexler it referred to a future manufacturing technology based on molecular machine systems. The very foundation of modern civilization lies on the abundant supply of electrical energy. For the last two centuries, most of our electricity needs have been fulfilled by fossil fuel sources such as coal, natural gas and petroleum. However, the global electricity demand is continuously increasing. The continuous increase in energy demand is forcing our society to search for environmentally clean, sustainable and renewable energy sources. This book is intended to provide a guide to the ideas and physical concepts that allow an understanding of the changes that occur as the size scale shrinks toward the atomic scale.