MA. TERESA U.

OCULAR
BSCE-STRUCTURAL 1ST YEAR

LET’S CHECK
5 1. What is nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology refers broadly to an applied field of science and technology whose
unifying theme is the control of matter on the level of molecular scales smaller than 1
micrometre, normally 1 to 100 nanometers, and the devices’ fabrication within that
range-size.
10
2. What are engineered nanomaterials? Give examples and discuss each.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2007), there are
four main types of engineered nanomaterials. These are mainly Carbon-Based, Metal-
Based, Dendrimers, and Nanocomposites.
15  Carbon- Based Nanomaterials (CBNs) are mostly composed of carbon which may
form ellipsoids or tubes and hollow spheres. Ellipsoidal and spherical carbon
nanomaterials are generally called fullerenes whereas cylindrical ones are called
nanotubes. These particles are best used in improved films and coatings, stronger and
lighter materials and electronics application.
20 Metal- Based Nanomaterials are made up of metals, semiconductors and oxides.
They have very interesting mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical and chemical
properties (Stephenson and Hubler, 2015). It may include quantum dots, nanogold,
nanosilvers and metal oxides.
Dendrimers are polymers in a nanosize built from units of branches. Their surfaces
25 have number of chains which can be used in performing a chemical function,
specifically. They may also be used for drug delivery due to its interior cavities which
other molecules could be placed.
Nanocomposites are nanomaterials that is being merge into nanosized particles to a
standard material of a matrix. The potential effect of this addition are mechanical
30 strength and electrical and thermal conductivity. They work as thin-film capacitors for
computer chips, solid polymer electrolytes for batteries, impellers, oxygen and gases
 barriers and many more (AzoNano, 2015)

3. What analytical techniques are used to characterize nanomaterials?

These are some of the most common analytical techniques used to characterized
5 nanomaterials. These are the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning
Electron Microscopy (SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Zeta Potential,
Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), Gas Sorption for Surface Area Analysis (BET),
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD),
Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-vis),
10 Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Nanoscan SPMS and Optical Particle Sizer (OPS).

15

20

25

30
REFERENCES:
 Most Common Analytical Techniques for the Characterization of Nanomaterials.
Retrieved September 02, 2020 from https://hehscenter.org/most-common-
analytical-techniques-for-the-characterization- of-nanomaterials/

5 Nanotechnology. Science Daily. Retrieved September 02, 2020 from

https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/nanotechnology.htm