application of structures, devices, and systems by controlling shape and size at
nanometre scale (http://www.nanotec.org.uk/report/chapter2.pdf).
According to Jeevanandam et al. (2018), the British Standards Institution has
proposed the following basic definitions for some of the terms connected with
nanotechnology:
– Nanoscale: Approximately 1–1000 nm size range.
– Nanoscience: The science and study of matter at the nanoscale that deals with
understanding their size and structure-dependent properties and compares the
emergence of individual atoms or molecules or bulk material–related differences.
– Nanotechnology: Manipulation and control of matter on the nanoscale dimension
by using scientific knowledge of various industrial and biomedical applications.
– Nanomaterial: Material with any internal or external structures on the nanoscale
dimension.
– Nano-object: Material that possesses one or more peripheral nanoscale
dimensions.
– Nanoparticle: Nano-object with three external nanoscale dimensions. The terms
nanorod or nanoplate are employed, instead of nanoparticle (NP), when the
longest and the shortest axes lengths of a nano-object are different.
– Nanofiber: When two similar exterior nanoscale dimensions and a third larger
dimension are present in a nanomaterial, it is referred to as nanofiber.
– Nanocomposite: Multiphase structure with at least one phase on the nanoscale
dimension.
– Nanostructure: Composition of interconnected constituent parts in the nanoscale
region.
– Nanostructured materials: Materials containing internal or surface nanostructure.
Just half a century ago, people did not yet understand how much potential lies in
miniaturization, and it was only in the 1990s that this field started to develop at a
faster pace. Many scientists considered nanotechnology to be the next logical step in
science, integrating engineering with biology, chemistry, medicine, and physics
(Ray et al. 2009). Currently, nanotechnology is slowly making its way into an
increasingly wide range of fields of human activity, and nanomaterials are making
numerous innovations possible. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are now an area of
priority for technological research worldwide.
According to the aforementioned definition, nanotechnology is concerned with
structures of dimensions of 1–100 nm in size. The properties of substances change
significantly after their reduction to nanosize, and they then exhibit different
characteristics to classic materials. Below 100 nm, thermal and electrical conductivity, or the tensile strength of materials, undergo modification, and magnetic and
optical properties start to be subject to the laws of quantum physics (Prasad et al.
2016). Nanotechnology makes it possible to provide tools which are lighter, cheaper,
and smaller, built from a minimal amount of materials and using a minimal amount
of energy. The fundamental and unique characteristic of nanomaterials is above all
the high surface area-to-volume ratio (according to the European Commission’s
4
A. Gorczyca et al.
nanometre scale (http://www.nanotec.org.uk/report/chapter2.pdf).
According to Jeevanandam et al. (2018), the British Standards Institution has
proposed the following basic definitions for some of the terms connected with
nanotechnology:
– Nanoscale: Approximately 1–1000 nm size range.
– Nanoscience: The science and study of matter at the nanoscale that deals with
understanding their size and structure-dependent properties and compares the
emergence of individual atoms or molecules or bulk material–related differences.
– Nanotechnology: Manipulation and control of matter on the nanoscale dimension
by using scientific knowledge of various industrial and biomedical applications.
– Nanomaterial: Material with any internal or external structures on the nanoscale
dimension.
– Nano-object: Material that possesses one or more peripheral nanoscale
dimensions.
– Nanoparticle: Nano-object with three external nanoscale dimensions. The terms
nanorod or nanoplate are employed, instead of nanoparticle (NP), when the
longest and the shortest axes lengths of a nano-object are different.
– Nanofiber: When two similar exterior nanoscale dimensions and a third larger
dimension are present in a nanomaterial, it is referred to as nanofiber.
– Nanocomposite: Multiphase structure with at least one phase on the nanoscale
dimension.
– Nanostructure: Composition of interconnected constituent parts in the nanoscale
region.
– Nanostructured materials: Materials containing internal or surface nanostructure.
Just half a century ago, people did not yet understand how much potential lies in
miniaturization, and it was only in the 1990s that this field started to develop at a
faster pace. Many scientists considered nanotechnology to be the next logical step in
science, integrating engineering with biology, chemistry, medicine, and physics
(Ray et al. 2009). Currently, nanotechnology is slowly making its way into an
increasingly wide range of fields of human activity, and nanomaterials are making
numerous innovations possible. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are now an area of
priority for technological research worldwide.
According to the aforementioned definition, nanotechnology is concerned with
structures of dimensions of 1–100 nm in size. The properties of substances change
significantly after their reduction to nanosize, and they then exhibit different
characteristics to classic materials. Below 100 nm, thermal and electrical conductivity, or the tensile strength of materials, undergo modification, and magnetic and
optical properties start to be subject to the laws of quantum physics (Prasad et al.
2016). Nanotechnology makes it possible to provide tools which are lighter, cheaper,
and smaller, built from a minimal amount of materials and using a minimal amount
of energy. The fundamental and unique characteristic of nanomaterials is above all
the high surface area-to-volume ratio (according to the European Commission’s
4
A. Gorczyca et al.