I 1
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
AND POLYMERS
11 .l. INTRODUCTION
Nanoparticles have been prepared from various types of large organic molecules,
as well as from polymers formed from organic subunits, and in this chapter some
of these nanostructures are described. Organic compounds are those compounds
that contain the atom carbon (C), with a few exceptions such as carbon
monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO,), and carbonates (e.g, CaC03), which
are classified as inorganic compounds Almost all organic compounds also contain
hydrogen atoms (H), and those that contain only carbon and hydrogen are called
hydrocurbons.
Before proceeding to discuss organic nanoparticles it will be helpful to
present a little background material on some of the chemical concepts that will be
used. Carbon has a valence of 4 and hydrogen has a valence of 1, so they can be
written
I
I
H(11.1)
Introduction to Nanotechnology, by Charles P. Poole Jr. and Frank J. Owens.
ISBN 0-471-07935-9. Copyright e] 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
281
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
AND POLYMERS
11 .l. INTRODUCTION
Nanoparticles have been prepared from various types of large organic molecules,
as well as from polymers formed from organic subunits, and in this chapter some
of these nanostructures are described. Organic compounds are those compounds
that contain the atom carbon (C), with a few exceptions such as carbon
monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO,), and carbonates (e.g, CaC03), which
are classified as inorganic compounds Almost all organic compounds also contain
hydrogen atoms (H), and those that contain only carbon and hydrogen are called
hydrocurbons.
Before proceeding to discuss organic nanoparticles it will be helpful to
present a little background material on some of the chemical concepts that will be
used. Carbon has a valence of 4 and hydrogen has a valence of 1, so they can be
written
I
I
H(11.1)
Introduction to Nanotechnology, by Charles P. Poole Jr. and Frank J. Owens.
ISBN 0-471-07935-9. Copyright e] 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
281