It seems pretty simple, right? Nanomaterials must be really, really small materials. While that is technically true, their significance reaches much beyond that.
At the microscopic level, nanomaterials are defined as materials with at least one dimension measuring below 100 nanometers. But how could something so small have any impact? The precise nature of nanomaterials is what causes it to be so crucial in technologies today and even in nature; nanostructures give butterfly wings their iridescence and gecko’s footpads their sticking power. They may also appear in multiple forms—nanoparticles, nanotubes, or patterned structures attached to a surface. Such range in properties makes for well usage in a wide variety of applications.
Understanding the numerous approaches to formulating nanomaterials themselves allows for scientists to take advantage of their unique properties. Some techniques include solution-based synthesis, vapor deposition techniques, and electrolysis. Each technique can be fine tuned to controllably produce the desired result. However, finding ways to controllably and efficiently produce nanomaterials with atomically precise control remains an ongoing challenge in the field.
Because nanomaterials are part of a broad class of materials, they also have broad potential applications. Commercial products already contain nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes in bicycle parts and nanocrystals in expensive screens. Currently, scientists are looking into using nanomaterials as catalysts for a variety of chemical reactions, targeted drug delivery systems, and solar panels.
Nanomaterials are a fascinating and potent field of study because their size and characteristics may be changed to fit a particular application; they have the advantage of a very high surface area to volume ratio. In addition to making materials more effective for uses like catalysis, having a high percentage of surface sites is crucial for rare or costly materials like platinum catalysts used in hydrogen production.
Since nanomaterials are a relatively new concept, many limitations are yet to be overcome. At the moment, scientists cannot reliably create every nanomaterial with an atomic-level degree of control. Several commonly used synthetic methods, including vapor deposition techniques, are extremely difficult to scale up and remain economically viable. This causes a struggle in scalability, and until then, nanomaterials remain precise but somewhat inefficient.
What qualifies a nanomaterial? Click here to find out more!
https://www.labcorp.com/new-reach-nanomaterial-requirements-what-you-need-do
Cover Image: Credits, https://www.crodaindustrialspecialties.com/en-gb/applications/nanomaterials
