Nanotechnology/Introduction

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Introduction to Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology, often shortened to "nanotech," is the study of the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology is very diverse, encompassing numerous fields in the natural sciences.

There has been much debate on the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has the potential to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with any introduction of new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as speculation about various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted.

This open source handbook on nanoscience and nanotechnology is divided into the following chapters, each dealing with a particular facet of nanotechnology:

• Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION - A general overview.
• Chapter 2: SEEING 'NANO' - How to observe what is going on on the nanoscale.
• Chapter 3: PHYSICS -ON THE NANOSCALE - How do things move and what are the important forces on the nanoscale.
• Chapter 4: NANOMATERIALS - The typical nanostructures and their functionality
• Chapter 5: NANOSYSTEMS - Fundamental electronic, optical, mechanical, and fluidic systems that can be made with nanostructures.
• Chapter 6: NANOENGINEERING - How to make nanostructures integrated into useful devices.
• Chapter 7: NANO-BIO PRIMER - An important part of nanotechnology is to interface with living organisms.
• Chapter 8: ENVIRONMENTAL NANOTECHNOLOGY - The environmental issues regarding this emerging technology.
• Chapter 9: NANO AND SOCIETY - Should we worry about nanotechnology?

References

See also notes on editing this book Nanotechnology/About#How_to_contribute.

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