ABSTRACT
When we try to de ne what is a nanomaterial or a nanoparticle, the rst idea that comes to our mind is to specify its size. Whether it is a sphere, a crystal, a wire, or a lm, we admit that at least one of its dimensions is of the order of few nanometers. But this geometrical de nition is insu cient to assess whether the system has the properties of a nanomaterial. Indeed, the “measured size” of a nanomaterial essentially depends on the method of analysis that is available. e shape of these nanoelements is o en complicated and complex and they are rarely identical to one another.
