Nanoscience, nanotechnology, and modeling

• Published in: Computing in science & engineering Vol. 3; no. 4; pp. 40 - 41
• Main Authors: Chelikowsky, J.R., Ratner, M.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.07.2001; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Chemicals; Computer interfaces; Electrodynamics; Nanomaterials; Nanostructured materials; Nanostructures; Nanotechnology; Quantum computing; Quantum mechanics; Silicon
• ISSN: 1521-9615; 1558-366X
• DOI: 10.1109/MCISE.2001.931902

The terms nanostructure, nanoscience, and nanotechnology are currently quite popular in both the scientific and the general press. These intermediate-length structures are intriguing because generally in the nanometer region, almost all physical and chemical properties of systems become size-dependent. For example, although the color of a piece of gold remains golden as it reduces from inches to millimeters to microns, the color changes substantially in the regime of nanometers. Similarly, the melting points of such particles change as they enter the nanoscale, where the surface energies become comparable to the bulk energies. Because properties at the nanoscale are size-dependent, nanoscale science and engineering offer an entirely new design motif for developing advanced materials and their applications.