3 Review(s)

Nanostructure science and technology has become an identifiable, if very broad and multidisciplinary, field of research and emerging application in recent years. It is one of the most visible and growing research areas in materials science in its broadest sense. Nanostructured materials include atomic clusters, layered (lamellar) films, filamentary structures, and bulk nanostructured materials. The common thread to these materials is the nanoscale dimensionality, i.e. at least one dimension less than 100 nm, more typically less than 50 nm. In some cases, the physics of such nanoscale materials can be very different from the macroscale properties of the same substance. The different, often superior, properties that can occur is the driving force behind the explosion in research interest in these materials. With the recent intense interest in this broad field, a number of books, articles and conferences have been published. The justification for yet another book is twofold. First, the speed of developments makes it necessary to record another snapshot of the field. Second, this book narrows the field into the study of synthesis, characterization, and properties relevant to applications that require bulk, and mainly inorganic materials.