ABSTRACT
Unique physical behaviors can be observed at the nanoscale. For instance, nanoparticles exhibit tunable photophysical behavior when they possess diameters between 1 and 100 nanometers. For this reason, Chapter 3 includes relevant concepts from freshman-level chemistry used to explain these unique behaviors. A large part of Chapter 3 includes an overview of electromagnetic radiation and associated properties such as wavelength, frequency, velocity, and energy. The dual wave/particle nature of light is also explained in this chapter. In addition, terms used to describe the electronic structure of the atom are included such as the Fermi Level and the Bohr-exciton radius, because they control the unique photophysical properties observed with metal nanoparticles and quantum dots.
