Nanoscience

 

In the last few decades, nanoscience and nanotechnology have become as one of the most dynamic area of research all over the world.

Nanoscience deal with the study of various phenomena exhibited by material having dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 nm (10 = one billionth of meter or 0.000000001).

Any, structures or materials with at least one dimension lies between this range is called nanostructures, or nanomaterials. The history of nanomaterials dates long back to very ancient.

Since ancient Roman times to color glass with intense shades of yellow, red, or mauve by varying the concentrations of the two metals. A fine example is the famous Lycurgus cup in the British museum, dated A.D fourth century.

In the Middle Ages, colloidal gold had also been used in medicine believing in its healing properties.

The term nanotechnology has now become more popular which relates to the design, synthesis, characterization and applications of materials by maintaining their size in the nanometer regime. In other words, nanoscience and nanotechnology are areas of science that spotlight on the:

(i) development of synthetic methods and analytical tools for building structures and materials of nano dimension,

(ii) changes in chemical and physical properties due to miniaturization,

(iii) use of such properties in the development of novel and functional materials and devices.

The synthesis and characterization of materials of nano dimension is of primary importance in the advancement of nanotechnology. Since the attractive properties of these materials depend on their size and shape, which in turn depend on the method of synthesis.

Synthesis of nanostructures can be done by two main approaches known as top-down and bottom-up approaches these are done through three methods like,

physical, chemical, and biological synthesis. In biological process green synthesis has edge over all other process because it is eco-friendly non-toxic less costly and easily compatible no need of special reducing and camping agent these are provided by plant phytochemicals naturally.

Synthesized nanostructures were characterized by different spectroscopic and analytical techniques as requirements which full fill the needs.

Like XRD, SEM/EDX, FTIR, etc confirms the different phases, external morphology, elemental chemical compositions, attached functional groups and other properties of synthesized nanostructures having size in nm scale.

Different methods of synthesis of Nanostructures effects the yield and size of Nanostructures thats why selection of fabrication metods and characterization techniques are most important.

Synthesis and characterization of materials of nano dimensions is of primary importance in the advancement of nanotechnology.