Nanotechnology: The Science of the Invisible

Research on nanomaterials has stimulated a lot of interest over the past decades due to their unique properties and vast utilities in biological, medical, electronic, and optoelectronic applications. This chapter will explore the origin of the nanotechnology concept, which can be traced back to about half a century ago when people thought the smallest man-made structure was an optical fiber. The origin of the conceptions related to nanotechnology (which includes definition of nanotechnology, the main researchers associated with it, and some terminology) will also be included. Various milestones during the development of nanotechnology also will be mentioned here. Various synthesis techniques for nanostructures will be outlined. Properties of materials at their nano-size range will be discussed in detail. A brief note on the applications of nanotechnology in various fields will be discussed towards the end of the chapter.