Nanoscopic Materials Size-Dependent Phenomena [Hardcover]

Nanotechnology has been hailed as a key technology of the 21st century. The scope of this field is huge and could have a wide influence on many aspects of life. Nanoscience; the manipulation of matter at the atomic and molecular level, and nanomaterials; materials so small that their behaviour and characteristics deviate from those of macroscopic specimens and may be predicted by scaling laws or by quantum confinement effects, are discussed in Nanoscopic Materials: Size - Dependent Phenomena.

The book focuses on a qualitative and quantitative approach discussing all areas of nanotechnology with particular emphasis on the underlying physico-chemical and physical principles of nanoscience. Topics include electronic structure, magnetic properties, thermodynamics of size dependence and catalysis. There is also a section discussing the future potential of the field and the ethical implications of nanotechnology.

The book is ideal for graduate students of chemistry and materials science and researchers new to the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Excellent as an introductory text to inorganic nanoscopic materials.......a very useful primer on inorganic nanoscopic materials.1: Introduction; 1.1: Clusters and nanoparticles; 1.2: Feynman's vision;2: Bulk and interface; 2.1: Gradients near surfaces; 2.2: The coordination number rules the game; 2.3: Surface science, a source of information; for nanoscience 2.4: Particle size and microstrain; 2.5: Biomimetics: nature as a source of inspiration for strategies in nanotechnology; 3: Geometric structure, magic numbers, and coordination numbers of small clusters; 3.1: The consequences of the range of the radial potential energy function; 3.2: Magic numbers by geometric shells closing; 3.3: Magic numbers by electronic shells closing; 3.4: Cohesive energy and coordination number; 4: Electronic structure; 4.1: Discrete states versus band structure; 4.2: The effects of dimensionality and symmetry in quantum strulS(