developed in closely related fields, perhaps the photographic process is the best
example. The need to prepare high quality materials throws into sharp contrast the
processing conditions chosen in the electronics industry as compared to biology.
The latter tends to work slowly, close to equilibrium and at low temperatures. The
electronics industry tends to use high temperature processes close to equilibrium
or processes limited by chemical reaction (CVD in its various forms). The reproducible synthesis of well defined nanomaterials spans these two approaches. It
seems likely that a modestly high temperature process is most likely to lead to
material of the required quality. However, we should not overlook the interesting
use of ferritin to produce fully functional magnetic materials. It has been impossible to provide more than an outline of the methods in use in this short chapter. The reader is referred to the many reviews cited for a more comprehensive
account. We have tried to give a clear picture of how such processes might be
scaled.
What is clear is that there is a major new technology to be developed using such
particulates; for example the UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
has estimated that in the early part of this century the global market for nanotechnology products will be in excess of £80 bn pa. Those interest in the potential
of this area might like to consider the following sources of information: New Dimensions for Manufacturing: A UK Strategy for Nanotechnology: DT and OST
June 2002; DTI Nanotechnology 2001, DTI ‘‘The International Technology Service
Missions on Nanotechnology to Germany and the USA’’ March 2001, European
Commission ‘‘Technology Roadmap for Nanoelectronics’’ November 2000, Luxcapital ‘‘Nanotechnology The Nanotech Report: 2001’’, Red Herring July 17 2000.
Acknowledgements
Our own work on quantum dots was instigated by Tito Trindade (Universidade
Aveiro), principally exploiting carbamato precursors initially developed by Azad
Malik, this initial work was ably extended by Mark Green (Oxonica Ltd) and Neerish Revaprasasu (University of Zululand) and is now carried on by the team in the
University of Manchester and NanoCo Ltd. Our work has been extensively supported by the EPSRC in the UK and our fruitful collaborations with South Africa
have been made possible by the long term support of the Royal Society in London
and the NRF in South Africa.
References
1 Alivisatos, A. P., J. Phys. Chem.,
1996, 100, 13226.
2 Green, M., O’Brien, P., Chem
Commun., 1999, 2235–2241; Pickett,
N. L., P. O’Brien, The Chemical
Record, 2001, 1, 467–479; Trindade,
T., Pickett, N. L., O’Brien, P., Chem.
Mater., 2001, 13, 3843–3858.
3 Rogach, A. L., Talapin, D. V.,
Shevchnko, E. V. et al., Adv. Funct.
Mater., 2002, 12, 653.
4 see Q.Dot Corp catalogue available at
References 27
example. The need to prepare high quality materials throws into sharp contrast the
processing conditions chosen in the electronics industry as compared to biology.
The latter tends to work slowly, close to equilibrium and at low temperatures. The
electronics industry tends to use high temperature processes close to equilibrium
or processes limited by chemical reaction (CVD in its various forms). The reproducible synthesis of well defined nanomaterials spans these two approaches. It
seems likely that a modestly high temperature process is most likely to lead to
material of the required quality. However, we should not overlook the interesting
use of ferritin to produce fully functional magnetic materials. It has been impossible to provide more than an outline of the methods in use in this short chapter. The reader is referred to the many reviews cited for a more comprehensive
account. We have tried to give a clear picture of how such processes might be
scaled.
What is clear is that there is a major new technology to be developed using such
particulates; for example the UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
has estimated that in the early part of this century the global market for nanotechnology products will be in excess of £80 bn pa. Those interest in the potential
of this area might like to consider the following sources of information: New Dimensions for Manufacturing: A UK Strategy for Nanotechnology: DT and OST
June 2002; DTI Nanotechnology 2001, DTI ‘‘The International Technology Service
Missions on Nanotechnology to Germany and the USA’’ March 2001, European
Commission ‘‘Technology Roadmap for Nanoelectronics’’ November 2000, Luxcapital ‘‘Nanotechnology The Nanotech Report: 2001’’, Red Herring July 17 2000.
Acknowledgements
Our own work on quantum dots was instigated by Tito Trindade (Universidade
Aveiro), principally exploiting carbamato precursors initially developed by Azad
Malik, this initial work was ably extended by Mark Green (Oxonica Ltd) and Neerish Revaprasasu (University of Zululand) and is now carried on by the team in the
University of Manchester and NanoCo Ltd. Our work has been extensively supported by the EPSRC in the UK and our fruitful collaborations with South Africa
have been made possible by the long term support of the Royal Society in London
and the NRF in South Africa.
References
1 Alivisatos, A. P., J. Phys. Chem.,
1996, 100, 13226.
2 Green, M., O’Brien, P., Chem
Commun., 1999, 2235–2241; Pickett,
N. L., P. O’Brien, The Chemical
Record, 2001, 1, 467–479; Trindade,
T., Pickett, N. L., O’Brien, P., Chem.
Mater., 2001, 13, 3843–3858.
3 Rogach, A. L., Talapin, D. V.,
Shevchnko, E. V. et al., Adv. Funct.
Mater., 2002, 12, 653.
4 see Q.Dot Corp catalogue available at
References 27