ABSTRACT
Technology in the present era needs miniaturization of the devices to nanometer range so as to increase their performance in a drastic way. This leads to work on the new materials to achieve specific selectivity and functionality. Nanotechnology is the answer to all such requirements. It is basically design, fabrication, uses, and utilities of nanostructures or nanomaterials which gives fundamental understanding of the relation between the physical properties of the materials and their dimensions. The small particles of organic or inorganic materials which may be crystalline or amorphous in nature having size between 1–100 nm are called nanomaterials. The size of such materials makes them significant because at such small size significant electrical, optical, and magnetic properties emerge. These unique properties have great potential in the electronic market, medical, and many other fields. This chapter discusses the history, emergence, and development of nanomaterials and nanotechnology. It also discusses different types and classification of nanomaterials with their optical, mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties. Various applications of nanomaterials are also described briefly.
