ABSTRACT
Space, the final frontier, to boldly go where no man has gone before…. This was the vision for the 20th century, to expand our horizons beyond our planet and the known universe by exploring light years (1015 m) into space. Yet all around us is a whole world waiting to be discovered at the nanoscale. Thus, the challenge of the 21st century is to explore structures, systems and materials on the order of magnitude of 10-9 m as well as of 109 m! 7.1 IntroductionThe characteristics of nanoparticles, including their size on the same scale as many biomolecules, their large surface-to-volume ratio, their specific physical properties (strength, photoluminosity, magnetism) and their stability, render them as potential therapeutic
and diagnostic agents [1]. The ideal case scenario would be a nanocarrier that could be administered effectively, targeting a specific area, molecule or cell with minimal damage to surrounding tissue, and subsequently cleared, leaving no remains of residual material.
