(Wiley-VCH). Open access platforms, which do not require a subscription
fee for readers to access full-text articles, have also seen a recent surge in
journals devoted to nanoscience. Examples include Applied Nanoscience
(Springer), The Open Nanoscience Journal (Bentham Open), and the
International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials (Taylor & Francis
Group). In addition, there has been steady growth in funding for nanoscience from both private sources and government agencies such as the
National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), and
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The National
Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) was first implemented in 2001 by the
U.S. federal government. The aim of the initiative was to advance nanotechnology research and development, promote transfer of this technology to the consumer, support the safe and responsible development of
the technology, and to develop and sustain nanoscience education.
The 2014 federal budget provided more than $1.7 billion for the NNI,
reflecting steady growth in the NNI investment. Since its inception in
2001, the cumulative NNI investment now totals almost $20 billion. The
2014 NNI budget supports nanoscience research at 15 agencies, with the
largest investments from the DOE, NSF, National Institutes of Health
(NIH), Department of Defense (DOD), and NIST.
Together with the growth in research activity and sharp increase in
professional publications, this rise in funding commitment provides a
compelling reason to begin serious training of our future workforce in this
area. Thus, the present textbook has been developed to be accessible to
undergraduate students in chemistry, physics, materials science, and
engineering, as well as professionals in related fields.
1.3 THE NANOSCALE DIMENSION
The word “nano” is derived from the Latin word nanus, meaning “dwarf,”
and is often used in the context of miniaturization. It is given the
abbreviation n. In the international systems of units, nano is the prefix
used when multiplying a unit, such as a given length, by 10
–9
. Thus, one
can speak of a nanometer (1 nm = 1 × 10
–9 m), a nanosecond (1 ns = 1 ×
10
–9 s), and even a nanogram (1 ng = 1 × 10
–9 g). The nano term is typically
used to refer to objects with length scale approaching the order of 10
–9 m.
Thus, one can speak of nanotubes, nanofossils, nanowires, and nanofilms
as materials in which at least one dimension is on the order of 10
–9 m. The
term nanofabrication refers to the procedure used to construct materials
THE NANOSCALE DIMENSION
5
fee for readers to access full-text articles, have also seen a recent surge in
journals devoted to nanoscience. Examples include Applied Nanoscience
(Springer), The Open Nanoscience Journal (Bentham Open), and the
International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials (Taylor & Francis
Group). In addition, there has been steady growth in funding for nanoscience from both private sources and government agencies such as the
National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), and
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The National
Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) was first implemented in 2001 by the
U.S. federal government. The aim of the initiative was to advance nanotechnology research and development, promote transfer of this technology to the consumer, support the safe and responsible development of
the technology, and to develop and sustain nanoscience education.
The 2014 federal budget provided more than $1.7 billion for the NNI,
reflecting steady growth in the NNI investment. Since its inception in
2001, the cumulative NNI investment now totals almost $20 billion. The
2014 NNI budget supports nanoscience research at 15 agencies, with the
largest investments from the DOE, NSF, National Institutes of Health
(NIH), Department of Defense (DOD), and NIST.
Together with the growth in research activity and sharp increase in
professional publications, this rise in funding commitment provides a
compelling reason to begin serious training of our future workforce in this
area. Thus, the present textbook has been developed to be accessible to
undergraduate students in chemistry, physics, materials science, and
engineering, as well as professionals in related fields.
1.3 THE NANOSCALE DIMENSION
The word “nano” is derived from the Latin word nanus, meaning “dwarf,”
and is often used in the context of miniaturization. It is given the
abbreviation n. In the international systems of units, nano is the prefix
used when multiplying a unit, such as a given length, by 10
–9
. Thus, one
can speak of a nanometer (1 nm = 1 × 10
–9 m), a nanosecond (1 ns = 1 ×
10
–9 s), and even a nanogram (1 ng = 1 × 10
–9 g). The nano term is typically
used to refer to objects with length scale approaching the order of 10
–9 m.
Thus, one can speak of nanotubes, nanofossils, nanowires, and nanofilms
as materials in which at least one dimension is on the order of 10
–9 m. The
term nanofabrication refers to the procedure used to construct materials
THE NANOSCALE DIMENSION
5