Concept of

Nanomaterials and its

application

By

Dr. Shaili Pal

 What is Nanotechnology?

“The purposeful engineering of matter at scales of less than 100 nm to

achieve size dependent properties and functions.”
Mathew Nordan
Lux Research, 2005

The term ‘nanotechnology’ coined by Tokyo Science University Professor

Norio Taniguchi.
“The principles of physics, as far as I can see, do not speak against the
possibility of manoeuvring things atom by atom.” “Put the atoms down
where the chemist says, and so you make the substance.”

- Richard Feynman(1959)
“There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom”
 Nanomaterials

▪ Nanomaterials can be defined as materials possessing, at minimum, one external dimension measuring 1-100nm.

▪ Nanomaterials can occur naturally, be created as the by-products of combustion reactions, or be produced
purposefully through engineering to perform a specialized function. These materials can have different physical and
chemical properties to their bulk-form counterparts.
Synthesis of Nanomaterials
Classification of Nanomaterials
 Effect of approaching Nanoscale

➢ Large Surface Area- Due to their small dimensions, nanomaterials have extremely large surface area to
volume ration, which makes a large fraction of atoms of the materials to be the surface or interfacial atoms,
resulting in more surface dependent material properties.

➢ Reducing the dimensions of a material affects many properties

▪ Melting point
▪ Chemical reactivity
▪ Optical properties
▪ Electrical properties
▪ Magnetic properties
 Nanomaterials Properties

1. Surface area
The surface areas of nanomaterials are generally substantially high compared with their bulk counterparts, and this
property is associated with all nanomaterials.
2. Magnetism
The magnetic behavior of elements can change at the nanoscale. A non-magnetic element can become magnetic at the
nanoscale level.
3. Quantum effects
Quantum effects are more pronounced at the nanoscale level. However, the size at which these effects will appear
strongly depends upon the nature of the semiconductor material.
4. High thermal and electrical conductivity
According to the nature of the nanomaterial, extraordinary thermal and electrical conductivity can be exhibited at the
nanoscale level compared to bulk counterparts. One example of this is graphene attained from graphite.
5. Excellent mechanical properties
Nanomaterials exhibit excellent mechanical properties that are absent in their macroscopic counterparts.
6. Excellent support for catalysts
2D sheets of various nanomaterials have provided the opportunity for the good dispersion of nanoparticles of active
catalyst, enhancing the catalyst performance substantially. Recently, catalysts have been atomically dispersed on 2D
sheets of nanomaterials to boost performance.
7. Antimicrobial activity
Some nanomaterials possess antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties and have an excellent capacity to deal with
pathogen-related diseases.
 Applications of Nanotechnology

➢ Medicine
➢ nanomedicine in drug delivery
➢ Antibacterial Treatments
➢ nanomedicine diagnostic techniques
➢ Cell Repair
➢ Electronic

➢ Environment

➢ Consumer products

➢ Sporting goods

➢ Catalysis
➢ Nanoparticles are used increasingly in catalysis to boost chemical reactions. This reduces the quantity
of catalytic materials necessary to produce desired results, saving money and reducing pollutants.
Two big applications are in petroleum refining and in automotive catalytic converters.