Template directed synthesis of low dimensional structures and their characterization

Abstract

newline The term nanotechnology is derived from Greek word nano , meaning dwarf . The aim of nanotechnology is to manipulate atoms individually and integrate them into large material components, systems and architectures so that the control and fabrication remain at nanoscale. Nanotechnology allows scientists and researchers to work on the scale of nature and deals with manipulation, observation and measurement at a scale less than 100 nm. Nanotechnology also helps developing devices that can scan and manipulate objects at nano- or atomic scale like atomic force microscope, scanning tunneling microscope, the laser force microscope, laser tweezers or liquid chromatography mass spectrometry devices etc. Nanomaterials, not only have potential technological applications in various areas, but also are of fundamental interest in that the material properties such as catalytic, electrical, mechanical, magnetic, optical, sterical, biological etc. can change in this regime of transition between bulk and molecular scales. The special properties of nanomaterials are due to quantum size effect and an extremely large surface-to-volume ratio relative to bulk materials and therefore a high proportion of atoms will be at the particle surface resulting in to high surface reactivity. The stable material at bulk stage becomes reactive at nanoscale (Haruta 2003). All conventional materials like metals, semiconductors, glass, ceramics or polymers can be obtained in nano-/microscale. There are different approaches for classification of nano-/micromaterials ranging from one dimension to three dimensions such as thin films, layers and surfaces, tubules, wires, inorganic or organic, crystalline or amorphous particles that can be found as single particles, aggregates, powders, over colloids, etc. The main categories are discussed further.