Preface
There is currently an extraordinary amount of interest in nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, terms now familiar not only to scientists, engineers, architects, and product designers but also to the
general public. Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies have been
developed as a consequence of truly significant recent advances in
the material science community. Their use, in turn, is expected to
have enormous consequences on the design and engineering of
everything from common consumer products and buildings all the
way through sophisticated systems that support a wealth of applications in the automotive, aerospace, and other industries. Hopes
exist for being able to make things smaller, lighter, or work better
than is possible with conventional materials. Serious problems
facing society might also be positively addressed via the use of
nanomaterials and nanotechnologies. In the energy domain, for
example, nano-based fuel cells or photovoltaics can potentially
offer greater efficiencies than are possible with conventional materials. Developments in nanomaterials and nanotechnologies have
consequently aroused the interest of many individuals involved in
engineering, architecture, and product design, whether in the automotive, building, or even the fashion industries.
In the excitement surrounding these new materials and technologies, however, their potential can, and has been, frequently overhyped. A mystique surrounds these words that can cloud
understanding of what nanomaterials and nanotechnologies really
are and what they can deliver. One of the purposes of this book is
to demystify the subject and distinguish what is real from what is
not. Though there is a need to better understand what benefits and
costs might be associated with using nanomaterials, in the design
fields little true understanding exists about what these new materials and technologies actually are and how they might be used
effectively. In the science and engineering domain the situation is
often the converse. The fundamental science-based knowledge is
xiii
There is currently an extraordinary amount of interest in nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, terms now familiar not only to scientists, engineers, architects, and product designers but also to the
general public. Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies have been
developed as a consequence of truly significant recent advances in
the material science community. Their use, in turn, is expected to
have enormous consequences on the design and engineering of
everything from common consumer products and buildings all the
way through sophisticated systems that support a wealth of applications in the automotive, aerospace, and other industries. Hopes
exist for being able to make things smaller, lighter, or work better
than is possible with conventional materials. Serious problems
facing society might also be positively addressed via the use of
nanomaterials and nanotechnologies. In the energy domain, for
example, nano-based fuel cells or photovoltaics can potentially
offer greater efficiencies than are possible with conventional materials. Developments in nanomaterials and nanotechnologies have
consequently aroused the interest of many individuals involved in
engineering, architecture, and product design, whether in the automotive, building, or even the fashion industries.
In the excitement surrounding these new materials and technologies, however, their potential can, and has been, frequently overhyped. A mystique surrounds these words that can cloud
understanding of what nanomaterials and nanotechnologies really
are and what they can deliver. One of the purposes of this book is
to demystify the subject and distinguish what is real from what is
not. Though there is a need to better understand what benefits and
costs might be associated with using nanomaterials, in the design
fields little true understanding exists about what these new materials and technologies actually are and how they might be used
effectively. In the science and engineering domain the situation is
often the converse. The fundamental science-based knowledge is
xiii