ABSTRACT
Nanotechnology is a very general term and in some of the media has come to be used as a buzzword. Currently, there is no de nition of the term “nanotechnology” that is accepted worldwide. Most fundamental physical properties change if the geometrical size in at least one dimension is reduced to a critical value below 100 nm, depending on the material itself. Such changes can in fact allow tuning of the physical properties of a macroscopic material if it consists of nanoscale building blocks whose size and composition can be controlled. Each property has a critical length scale, and if a nanoscale building block is smaller than that critical length, then the fundamental physics of that property change. By altering the sizes of those building blocks, controlling their internal and surface chemistry, their atomic structure, and their assembly, it is possible to engineer properties and functionalities in completely new ways, thus opening up potential future markets.
