Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology

Nanomaterials are described as materials with at least one exterior dimension of 1 to 100 nanometers. Nanomaterials can exist naturally, be manufactured as by-products of combustion reactions, or be engineered specifically to serve a specific role. Physical and chemical properties of these materials may differ from those of their bulk-form equivalents. Nanomaterials are used in a wide range of industries, from healthcare and cosmetics to environmental preservation and air purification, due to their capacity to create materials in a specific way to perform a specified function.

Nanotechnology is an area of study and research that focuses on creating 'things' on the scale of atoms and molecules, such as materials and devices. The scale of which is nanometer, one billionth of a meter is a nanometer, which is ten times the diameter of a hydrogen atom. Nanotechnology has been lauded as having the ability to improve energy efficiency, assist clean up the environment, and solve severe health issues.