Nanoscience involves the study of materials with small dimensions that exhibit remarkable and unusual properties compared to their macroscale counterparts. These nanomaterials can have optical properties that differ such as exhibiting different colors. Their mechanical and electrical properties can also be very different or even opposite. Additionally, nanomaterials have an increased surface area compared to volume, which causes changes in their reactivity, catalytic activity, solubility, and other properties compared to macroscale materials due to surface effects.

1. How is “nano” special?
Nanoscience is not just the science of the small, is the study of
materials that exhibit remarkable properties, functionality and
properties
phenomena because of their small dimensions.
Optical Properties
Changing the size of a material can change its colour
Gold Cadmium Telluride
NANO
O
Nanoparticles of
CdTe.
MACRO
~2nm A. Eychmüller ,
Technische Universität
Dresden
Increasing size
The same material at the nanoscale can have properties which are very
different (even opposite!) to the properties the material has when it is
“macro”.
Mechanical and Electrical Properties
Graphene is brittle and
non conductive
Carbon nanotubes are
like rolled up graphene
sheets…however they
have totally different
properties.
ti
Did you know? Carbon nanotubes
are much stronger than steel yet
much lighter, and they can be
conductive.
R ti it
Reactivity
If you take a bulk material and subdivide it into many
individual nanoparticles, the total volume remains
the same, but the collective surface area is much,
much bigger!
More surface means….
Change in catalytic activity
Change in solubility
Change in boiling point
Change in reactivity
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