Nanoscale research refers to science, engineering, and technology at the level of atoms and molecules, with a length scale of 1 to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. For perspective, a row of 10 hydrogen atoms would span about 1 nanometer, and the width of a human hair is about 50,000 to 150,000 nanometers.
The Nanoscale is the scale at which the fundamental properties of materials and systems are established. Melting temperature, magnetic properties, charge capacity, and even color are dictated by the arrangement of Nanoscale structures. The realm of molecular biology also operates largely at the Nanoscale.
Much is known about the physical properties and behavior of isolated molecules and bulk materials. The properties of matter at the Nanoscale, however, cannot necessarily be predicted from those observed at larger or smaller scales. Instead, they exhibit important differences that cannot be explained by traditional models and theories.
Some of these differences result from continuous modification of characteristics with changing size. Others represent totally new phenomena, such as quantum size confinement, wave-like transport, and the predominance of interfacial phenomena. Beginning at the molecular level, new chemical and physical properties emerge as cooperative interactions begin to dominate the behavior of Nanoscale molecular complexes. The ability to understand, design, and control these properties will lead to a whole new world of fundamental molecular assembles.