Nanomaterials describe, in principle, materials of which a single unit is sized between 1 and 100 nm.
"Lotus effect", hydrophobic effect with self-cleaning ability
Close-up of the underside of a gecko's foot as it walks on a glass wall (spatula: 200 × 10–15 nm)
SEM micrograph of a butterfly wing scale (× 5000)
Peacock feather (detail)
Nanotechnology was defined by the National Nanotechnology Initiative as the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing properties of matter. The definition of nanotechnology is inclusive of all types of research and technologies that deal with these special properties. It is therefore common to see the plural form "nanotechnologies" as well as "nanoscale technologies" to refer to the broad range of research and applications whose common trait is size. An earlier description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal of precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for fabrication of macroscale products, also now referred to as molecular nanotechnology.
Fullerene nanogears
Comparison of nanomaterials sizes
Image of reconstruction on a clean Gold(100) surface, as visualized using scanning tunneling microscopy. The positions of the individual atoms composing the surface are visible.
Graphical representation of a rotaxane, useful as a molecular switch
