Nanomaterials are cornerstones of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Nanostructure science and technology is a broad and interdisciplinary area of research and development activity that has been growing explosively worldwide in the past few years. It has the potential for revolutionizing the ways in which materials and products are created and the range and nature of functionalities that can be accessed. It is already having a significant commercial impact, which will assuredly increase in the future. Nanoscale materials are defined as a set of substances where at least one dimension is less than approximately 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one millionth of a millimeter - approximately 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Nanomaterials are of interest because at this scale unique optical, magnetic, electrical, and other properties emerge. These emergent properties have the potential for great impacts in electronics, medicine, and other fields.

Some nanomaterials occur naturally, but of particular interest are engineered nanomaterials (EN), which are designed for, and already being used in many commercial products and processes. They can be found in such things as sunscreens, cosmetics, sporting goods, stain-resistant clothing, tires, electronics, as well as many other everyday items, and are used in medicine for purposes of diagnosis, imaging and drug delivery. Engineered nanomaterials are resources designed at the molecular (nanometre) level to take advantage of their small size and novel properties which are generally not seen in their conventional, bulk counterparts. The two main reasons why materials at the nano scale can have different properties are increased relative surface area and new quantum effects. Nanomaterials have a much greater surface area to volume ratio than their conventional forms, which can lead to greater chemical reactivity and affect their strength. Also at the nano scale, quantum effects can become much more important in determining the materials properties and characteristics, leading to novel optical, electrical and magnetic behaviours.

Nanomaterials are already in commercial use, with some having been available for several years or decades. The range of commercial products available today is very broad, including stain-resistant and wrinkle-free textiles, cosmetics, sunscreens, electronics, paints and varnishes. Nanocoatings and nanocomposites are finding uses in diverse consumer products, such as windows, sports equipment, bicycles and automobiles. There are novel UV-blocking coatings on glass bottles which protect beverages from damage by sunlight, and longer-lasting tennis balls using butylrubber/nano-clay composites. Nanoscale titanium dioxide, for instance, is finding applications in cosmetics, sun-block creams and self-cleaning windows, and nanoscale silica is being used as filler in a range of products, including cosmetics and dental fillings.

The history of nanomaterials began immediately after the big bang when Nanostructures were formed in the early meteorites. Nature later evolved many other Nanostructures like seashells, skeletons etc. Nanoscaled smoke particles were formed during the use of fire by early humans. The scientific story of nanomaterials however began much later. One of the first scientific reports is the colloidal gold particles synthesised by Michael Faraday as early as 1857. Nanosized amorphous silica particles have found large-scale applications in many every-day consumer products, ranging from non-diary coffee creamer to automobile tires, optical fibers and catalyst supports.

Thanks & Regards,
Nicola B
Editorial Team
Journal of Biochemistry & Biotechnology