ABSTRACT
Properties of particles in general, and of nanoparticles in particular, depend on the chemical composition and on the dispersity of the material. Nanoparticle surface properties are of ultimate importance due to the high specific surface area of nanoparticles. The most relevant particle interactions for nanoparticles are van der Waals forces, electrostatic interactions and steric interactions mediated by adsorbed molecules. Ostwald Ripening is an important effect in liquids which is observed for many nanoparticulate systems including semiconductors of extremely low bulk solubility at the lower nanoscale and in pharmaceutical nanotechnology where the effect can be observed for sizes of several 100 nm. Sintering is an important effect in the gas phase synthesis of nanoparticles and in the formation of ceramics, for instance. Mechanical properties of nanoparticles are of interest for all fields of application where particles in contact play a role, e.g. adhesion, compaction, tableting and powder storage, filtration or powder flow.
