Nanoparticles: Building Blocks for Nanotechnology

A nanoparticle (or Nano powder or Nano cluster or Nano crystal) is a microscopic particle with at least
one dimension less than 100 nm. Nanoparticle exhibits great chemical diversity, morphological diversity.
Generated via a number of synthetic routes based on gas, liquid or solid phase approaches.

Synthesized nanoparticles have to be surface modified in most cases

1. To passivate and stabilize them since their Nano scale renders them chemically very reactive
and/or physically aggregative.

2. Surface functionalized in order to meet the needs of specific applications.

3. They serve as the fundamental building blocks for various nanotechnology applications.

Introduction

When the particle size is so small then it relevantly changes its properties, individually or when it
is grouped. They can be made of chemical nature, the most common being metals, metal oxides,
silicates, non-oxide ceramics, polymers, organics, carbon and biomolecules. They are designed
according to the specification needed for their uses.

Various features contributing to the diversity of engineered nanoparticle

1. Chemical nature eg:metals

2. Shapes eg: platelets
3. Dispersion state eg: individually dispersed
4. Dispersion medium eg: gaseous
5. Surface modulation eg:polymer drafting

Nanoscale Properties and Relevance

The most important properties of nano scale or nanometer size are; lot of nanoparticles is present at the
surface rather than the interiors and large surface area of the material per unit volume.

These two properties are inversely proportional to the particle size i.e. these two properties increase in
magnitude with the decrease in particle size. Surprising applications of the nanoparticles are due to the
unusual shapes and sizes such as carbon nanotubes and dendrite’s.

Nanoparticles display many unique properties because of their small size. Some of the properties are:
1. Optical Properties: Nanoparticles display special optical properties because wavelengths
(absorption or emission) can be controlled by modification of surfaces and the size of the
particles. e.g. Transparency can be achieved if the nanoparticles size is below the critical
wavelength of light.
2. Electrical Properties: By the individual properties of the nanoparticles transport can be
controlled. For example; the chemical nature and the size control of the ionic potential or the
electron affinity.
3. Thermal Properties: Sintering and melting temperature decrease with decreasing size of
nanoparticles. However, high thermal conductivity is required for some applications. Therefore to
provide better thermal conduction small particles can be incorporated in base matrix.
4. Individual metallic magnetic nanoparticles exhibit super-paramagnetic behavior.

Nanoparticles and solid matrix achieve strong interaction because of high surface area. Therefore
nanoparticles are being used with polymers to make composites having remarkable properties. For
example different levels of mechanical properties can be achieved for final composites.

Production of Nanoparticles

Production/Synthesis of nanoparticles can be achieved by a variety of methods. Most traditional

approaches uses gas, liquid or solid state processes.

Solid State Methods (Grinding and Milling): These are mechanical size reduction methods. These
are common approaches to produce fine particles.

Gas Phase Synthesis Methods: Most synthesis methods of nanoparticles in the gas phase are based
on homogeneous nucleation in the gas phase and subsequent condensation and coagulation. The
generation of nanoparticles from the vapor phase requires the establishment of super saturation which
can be achieved by physical or chemical methods. The supersaturated vapor can nucleate
homogeneously or heterogeneously. The nuclei then grow by collision and condensation.

Vapor Methods: In this method the vapor is formed by heating in the absence of oxygen followed by
reduction, oxidation and deposition of the vapor on a planned position. Production of nanoparticles
starts from initial nuclei followed by controlled growth by different methods

Colloidal Methods: These methods are based on the precipitation processes in solutions. Insoluble
precipitates of can be formed by mixing solutions of different ions under controlled temperature and
pressure.Ultrasonic effects have also been used to control the nucleation.
Surface Modification of Nanoparticles

After the production and purification of nanoparticles it becomes almost necessary to apply surface
modifications. The purposes of surface modifications are:

a) To passivate reactive nanoparticles by using passivating agents.

b) As nanoparticles are very aggregative therefore these aggregative nanoparticles are dispersed in a
suitable medium to achieve stabilization.
c) Functionalizing the nanoparticles for applications such as molecular recognition.
d) Promotion of assembly of nanoparticles.

Assembling Nanoparticles

The practical applications are depending on how the atoms are placed or assembled in to matter so
that it is easily assessable to outer world like

1. Stabling polymer molecules around nanoparticles in random.

2. Molecules severe as Nano electrical wire.
3. Block copolymer patterned surface with Nano particles located at domain boundaries.

Applications are used in various areas like

1. Copolymer nanostructures in templates to direct the nanoparticle assembly of metal oxide

particles to generate mesoporous materials.
2. Direct the assembly of oppositely charged nanoparticles
3. Create particle assemblies dictated by nucleic acid interactions.
4. Direct the assembly of nanoparticles that have the recognition molecules bound to their
surfaces.
5. Dewetting of a solid surface by a polymer solution has been exploited to attain nanoparticle
self-assembly.
6. Self-assemble to yield ordered nanoparticle assemblies in one, two or three dimensions.

Nanoparticle Commercial Applications

Nanoparticles has a number of commercial applications in various fields of technology from the early
stages of 21st century, but growth is very fast and popular .Nano particles are used in health care and
fitness, home and garden, electronics and computers, food and beverage, automotive, appliances and
products for children.

Conclusions

The base of nanotechnology is nanoparticle; it’s used in energy and power, health and biomedicine,
electronics and computers, environmental applications, new engineering materials, consumer goods,
personal care products, food and transportation. For all these functions nanoparticles have to be
synthesized, passivated to control their chemical reactivity, stabilized against particle aggregation, and
functionalized to achieve specific performance goals.
Examples of Present and Potential Applications of Nanoparticles

Biomedicine • Antibacterial creams and powders (Ag)

Consumer Goods and Personal Care Products • Anti-bleaching, scratch resistance additives in paints
Electronics and Computers • Chemical mechanical planarization (alumina, silica, ceria)
Engineering Materials • Anti-scattering layers in photographic film
Environmental • Controlled delivery of herbicides and pesticides
Food • Flavors and colors in food and beverages (Nano capsules)
Power and Energy • Anode and cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (Nano clays, CNT)
Transportation • Automated highways

When a nano particle is integrated in a device, that’s a final product. The use of nanomaterial has been
increased with their growth in the research field.