data transmission and storage), to engineering (e.g., tertiary oil recovery, large-scale synthesis of nanowires) and environmental science (e.g.,
remediation on nanopores, detection of hazardous materials on nanofilms). For example, an extended entity such as a thin film containing an
antigen on the surface may be used to detect the presence of a specific
antibody. The complexation of the antigen and the antibody, driven by
noncovalent interactions, may result in a supramolecular “bilayer.”
1.7 OVERVIEW OF THE TEXT
This introductory book is composed of four units. The first unit encompasses fundamental physical chemistry required for understanding
nanomaterials, including thermodynamics (Chapter 2), chemical kinetics
and transport (Chapter 3), and basic quantum mechanics (Chapter 4). The
second unit focuses on the interactions that determine the structure of
nanomaterials, including noncovalent interactions (Chapter 5) and
methods for characterizing nanomaterials in bulk environments (Chapter
6). The third unit concerns interfaces, including the interaction of molecules with surfaces (Chapter 7) and instrumental techniques for characterizing nanomaterials on surfaces (Chapter 8). The final unit consists of
two chapters focusing on synthesis and applications of nanomaterials,
further focusing on nanomaterials for optical and electronic applications
(Chapter 9) and on thin films (Chapter 10). The book captures the interdisciplinary nature of this field and attempts to provide a well-balanced
approach to teaching nanoscience, though with a perspective based in
(a)
(b)
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Figure 1.6 Example of an
aggregated (a) and singleentity (b) supramolecular
structure.
CHAPTER 1: A Brief Introduction to Nanoscience
12