Structural Types of Nanomaterials
Structural Types of Nanomaterials
Structural Types of Nanomaterials
2
Introduction
The concept nanomaterials is thought to be most accurately defined as
follows: Nanomaterials represent nanoindustry products in the form of
materials containing structural nanoelements that substantially improve
or cause qualitatively new mechanical, chemical, physical, biological,
and other properties. As follows from this definition, nanomaterials
should not be necessarily nanocrystalline (consisting mainly of
crystallites having a nanoscale size in at least one dimension). The
structural nanoelements that radically change material properties can be
represented by fragments, pores, clusters, atom segregations, dislocation
ensembles, phase transformation products, dendrites, quasicrystals, and
so on.
Examples of Nanomaterials
Wrapping vector: n n1a1 n2a2
Bulk nanomaterials are materials that are not confined to the nanoscale
in any dimension. These materials are thus characterized by having
three arbitrarily dimensions above 100 nm.
Materials possess a nanocrystalline structure or involve the presence of
features at the nanoscale.
In terms of nanocrystalline structure, bulk nanomaterials can be
composed of a multiple arrangement of nanosize crystals,most typically
in different orientations.
With respect to the presence of features at the nanoscale, 3-D
nanomaterials can contain dispersions of nanoparticles, bundles of
nanowires, and nanotubes as well as multinanolayers.
Three-dimensional space showing the relationships
among 0-D, 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D nanomaterials
The properties of materials can be different at the Nanoscale for
two main reasons:
First, Nanomaterials have a relatively larger surface area when
compared to the same mass of material produced in a larger form.
Quantum Wire
It is a one-dimensional system
The electron can move in one direction and restricted in two
directions.
Quantum dot
It is a zero dimensional system
The electron movement was restricted in entire three
dimensions
Why called Quantum ?
Quantum dot
Applications of Nanomaterials in Medicine
In this diagram (next page), Nano sized sensing wires are laid
down across a micro fluidic channel. As particles flow through the
micro fluidic channel, the Nanowire sensors pick up the molecular
identifications of these particles and can immediately relay this
information through a connection of electrodes to the outside
world.
These Nanodevices are man-made constructs made with carbon,
silicon Nanowire.
They can detect the presence of altered genes associated with
cancer and may help researchers pinpoint the exact location of
those changes
Physical properties of nanoparticles
Nanoparticles often have unique physical and chemical properties.
For example, the electronic, optical, and chemical properties of
nanoparticles may be very different from those of each component
in the bulk. At the nanoscale, materials behave very differently
compared to larger scales and it is still very difficult to predict the
physical and chemical properties of particles of such a very small
size.
The principal parameters of nanoparticles are their shape, size,
surface characteristics and inner structure. Nanoparticles can be
encountered as aerosols (solids or liquids in air), suspensions
(solids in liquids) or as emulsions (liquids in liquids). In the
presence of certain chemicals, properties of nanoparticles may be
modified.
Aerosol
An aerosol is a collection of microscopic particles, solid or liquid, suspended in a
gas.
In the context of air pollution, an aerosol refers to fine particulate matter, that is
larger than a molecule, but small enough to remain suspended in
the atmosphere for at least several hours.
The term aerosol is also commonly used for a pressurized container (aerosol can)
which is designed to release a fine spray of a material such as paint. It has also
come to be associated, erroneously, with the gas (propellant) used to expel
materials from an aerosol can.
Natural sources of aerosols include salt particles from sea spray, dust and clay
particles from the weathering of rocks. Aerosols can also originate as a result of
human activities and are often considered pollutants.
Aerosols play an important role in the atmosphere namely in the condensation of
water droplets and ice crystals, various chemical cycles, and the absorption of solar
radiation.
Photomicrograph made with a Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM): Fly ash particles at 2,000x magnification. Most of the
particles in this aerosol are nearly spherical.
Emulsion
Any stable mixture of two liquids that naturally do not mix together
or dissolve in each other (such as oil and water), where one liquid
(in the form of fine droplets or globules) is dispersed in the other.
Suspensions