1st Edition

Science at the Nanoscale An Introductory Textbook

    226 Pages 115 Color & 28 B/W Illustrations
    by Jenny Stanford Publishing

    Nanotechnology is one of the most important growth areas of this century. Nanoscience, the science underpinning nanotechnology, is a multidisciplinary subject covering atomic, molecular and solid state physics, and much of chemistry. Nanostructures are known to exhibit novel and improved material properties, fundamentally because the physical and chemical properties are very different when dimensions are reduced to the nanometer range.

    Suitable for undergraduate students or advanced high school students, this book introduces the basic principles and knowledge needed for students to understand science at the nanoscale. Many ideas proposed in nanotechnology are frontier and futuristic, although some have immediate technological applications. The core scientific principles of all nanotechnology applications, however, are grounded in physics and chemistry. This practical, student-friendly introduction helps students recognize the connections among these various disciplines and how they play a part in nanoscience and technology.

    Acknowledgements
    Preface
    About the Authors
    Introduction and Historical Perspective
    The Development of Nanoscale Science
    The Nanoscale
    Examples of Interesting Nanoscience Applications
    Classical Physics at the Nanoscale
    Mechanical Frequency
    Viscosity
    Brownian Motion of Nanoscale Objects
    Motion at the Nanoscale
    Brief Review of QuantumMechanics
    Basic Quantum Physics and Quantum Confinement
    Basic Postulates of Quantum Mechanics
    Hydrogen-Like Atoms: Orbitals and Atomic Structures
    Spin
    From Atoms andMolecules to NanoscaleMaterials
    Atoms and the Periodic Table of Elements
    Molecules and Molecular Interactions
    From Atoms to Solid Materials
    From Molecules to Supramolecules
    Surfaces at the Nanoscale
    Surface Energy
    Surface Reactivity and Catalysis
    Surface Stabilisation
    Low-Dimensional Nanostructures
    From 3D to 0D Nanostructures
    Electron Transport Properties in Low Dimensional Systems
    Quantum Dots, QuantumWires
    Formation and Self-Assembly at the Nanoscale
    Some Basic Thermodynamic Definitions
    The Bottom-Up Approach
    The Self-Assembly Processes
    Nanotools and Nanofabrication
    Optical Microscopy
    Electron Microscopy
    Scanning Probe Microscopy
    Optical Tweezers
    Future Trends
    Nanotechnology and the Developing World
    Beyond Moore’s Law
    Spintronics and Surface Chemistry
    Carbon Electronics
    Index

    Biography

    Andrew T. S. Wee, Chorng Haur Sow, Chin Wee Shong

    "This book provides a very detailed and interesting overview of the fundamental principles of nanoscience, discusses the background of several nanoscience experimental techniques, and sheds light on some of the visionary and important applications in the truly interdisciplinary area of nanotechnology. The book will be a useful reference for graduate students and is expected to attract the attention of not only new graduate students but also senior scientists interested in the fascinating area of nanoscience and nanotechnology and those who are involved in a wide spectrum of disciplines ranging from physics, chemistry, surface science, spectroscopy, materials science and engineering to medicine."
    —Prof. Wael Mamdouh and Prof. Flemming Besenbacher, University of Aarhus, Denmark