ABSTRACT
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures, materials, and devices. Engineered nanoparticles are defined as having at least one dimension <100 nm. Because of their small size, nanoparticles have a high particle surface area/mass and exhibit physicochemical properties that differ dramatically from fine-sized particles of the same composition. These unique properties are being exploited for a number of applications, including integrated sensors, semiconductors, structural materials, drug delivery systems, medical imaging, sunscreens, cosmetics, and coatings (1). Therefore, nanotechnology has the ability to transform many industries from manufacturing to medicine. By 2015, the National Science Foundation estimates that nanotechnology will have a $1 trillion impact on the global economy and employ 2 million workers, 1 million of which may be in the United States.
