Nanotechnology has received tremendous interest over the last decade, not only from the scientific community but also from a business perspective and from the general public. Although nanotechnology is still at the largely unexplored frontier of science, it has the potential for extremely exciting technological innovations that will have an enormous impact on areas as diverse as information technology, medicine, energy supply and probably many others. The miniturization of devices and structures will impact the speed of devices and information storage capacity. More importantly, though, nanotechnology should lead to completely new functional devices as nanostructures have fundamentally different physical properties that are governed by quantum effects. When nanometer sized features are fabricated in materials that are currently used in electronic, magnetic, and optical applications, quantum behavior will lead to a set of unprecedented properties. The interactions of nanostructures with biological materials are largely unexplored. Future work in this direction should yield enabling technologies that allows the study and direct manipulation of biological processes at the (sub) cellular level.

Self-assembly of Nano- and Micro-structured Materials Using Colloidal Engineering, Volume 12, covers the recent breakthroughs in the design and manufacture of functional colloids at the micro- and nanoscale level. In addition, it provides analyses on how these functionalities can be exploited to develop self-assembly pathways towards nano- and micro-structured materials. As we seek increasingly complex functions for colloidal superstructures, in silico design will play a critical role in guiding experimental fabrication by reducing the element of trial-and-error that would otherwise be involved. In addition to novel experimental approaches, recent developments in computational modelling are also presented, along with an overview of the arsenal of designing tools that are available to the modern materials scientist. Focuses on promoting feedback between experiment, theory and computation in this cross-disciplinary research area Shows how colloid science plays a crucial role in the bottom-up fabrication of nanostructured materials Presents recent developments in computational modelling

Delivers comprehensive coverage of key subjects in self-assembly and nanotechnology, approaching these and related topics with one unified concept. Designed for students and professionals alike, it explores a variety of materials and situations in which the importance of self-assembly nanotechnology is growing tremendously. Provides clear schematic illustrations to represent the mainstream principles behind each topic.

The ability to move, manipulate and precisely assemble nanoscale materials is key to further advances in nanotechnology, especially nanoscale manufacturing, fabrication of sensors, electronics components etc. Electrokinetics is a key technique for achieving these ends, an is already widely used in MEMS and nanotechnology applications. This book provides a thorough overview of electrokinetics, focusing on both theoretical and experimental aspects of this important technique. Wen Li shows how to use electric field concepts to assemble nanoscale systems (i.e. systems on the scale of molecules). The use of field forces, as in electrokinetics, offers the level of precision required to manipulate and assemble large arrays of similar structures at the nano-scale. Electrokinetics is also put into a broader context by the author's wider examination of nanoscale systems, including an explanation of how competing forces and interactions operate at the molecular scale. Wen Li's book will enable readers to develop the ability to systematically design nano-sensing platforms and nano-manufacturing systems in a range of applications for areas including healthcare, precision engineering, lubrication, cell manipulation and the analysis of biological samples. Build a fundamental understanding of how to rapidly manipulate and assemble nanoscale entities using electrokinetics. Gain knowledge of the engineering methods available for parallel nanoscale manipulation, assembly, and manufacturing. Develop the ability to systematically design nano-sensing platforms and nano-manufacturing systems.

Top-down approaches are currently the main contributor of fabricating microelectronic devices. However, the prohibitive cost of numerous technological steps in these approaches is the main obstacle to further progress. Furthermore, a large number of applications necessitate fabrication of complex and ultra-small devices that cannot be made using these approaches. New approaches based on natural self-assembly of matter need to be developed to allow for fabrication of micro and nanoelectronic devices. Self-assembly of nanostructures is a dynamic field, which explores physics of these structures and new ways to fabricate them. However, the major problem is how to control the properties of the nanostructures resulting from low dimensionality. This book presents recent advances made to address this problem, and fabricate nanostructures using self-assembly.

Adopting a unique approach, this book provides a thorough, one-stop introduction to nanoscience and self-assembly of nanomaterials composed of such materials as metals, metal oxides, metal sulphides, polymers, and biopolymers. Clearly divided into three sections covering the main aspects of nanoscience, the first part deals with the basic principles of nanoscale science. Alongside essential approaches and forces, this section also covers thermodynamics, phase transitions, and applications to biological systems. The second and third parts then go on to provide a detailed description of the synthesis of inorganic and organic nanoparticles, respectively. With its interdisciplinary content of importance to many different branches of nanoscience, this is essential reading for material scientists, physicists, biophysical chemists, chemical engineers, and biotechnologists alike.

The Advances in Inorganic Chemistry series, presents timely and informative summaries on current progress in a variety of subject areas. This acclaimed serial features reviews written by experts in the field, serving as an indispensable reference to advanced researchers that empowers readers to pursue new developments in each field. Users will find this to be a comprehensive overview of recent findings and trends from the last decade that covers various kinds of inorganic topics, from theoretical oriented supramolecular chemistry, to the quest for accurate calculations of spin states in transition metals. Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors Presents the latest release in the Advances in Inorganic Chemistry series Includes the latest information on nanoscale coordination chemistry