TÜ ja TTÜ Doktorikool

“Funktsionaalsed materjalid ja tehnoloogiad”

Nanomaterials

Instructor: DSc Irina HUSSAINOVA

MTX9100 Department of Materials Engineering
Nanomaterjalid Faculty of Mechanics
Tallinn University of Technology
Room: V – 313A
Tel.: 620 3371
E-mail: [email protected]
 Why is nanoscience attracting so
much interest?

The fundamental properties of matter change at the nanoscale.

The properties of atoms and molecules are not governed by the
same physical laws as larger objects, but by “quantum
mechanics”.

Mr Miguel Ângel Fernández Vindel, Universidad Autonoma de

Image: Fanny Beron, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Canada
Madrid/Spain
What’s interesting about nanoscale?

The physical and chemical properties of nanoparticles can be
quite different from those of larger particles of the same
substance.

Altered properties can include but are not limited to colour,
solubility, material strength, electrical conductivity, magnetic
behavior, mobility (within the environment and within the
human body), chemical reactivity and biological activity.

Image: C. Menozzi, G.C. Gazzadi, S3 (INFM-

CNR), Modena. Artwork: Lucia Covi
 Why nanomaterials?
“Imagine dissociating a human body into its most
fundamental building blocks. We would collect a considerable
portion of gases, namely hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen;
sizable amounts of carbon and calcium; small fractions of
several metals such as iron, magnesium, and zinc; and tiny
levels of many other chemical elements .The total cost of these
materials would be less than the cost of a good pair of shoes. Are
we humans worth so little?
Obviously not, mainly because it is the arrangement of these
elements and the way they are assembled that allow human
beings to eat, talk, think, and reproduce. In this context, we
could ask ourselves: What if we could follow nature and build
whatever we want, atom by atom and/or molecule by molecule?”
M. Ashby, P. Ferreira, D. Schodek; Nanomaterials, Nanotechnologies and Design; Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd.
What is so special about nanotechnology?

it is an incredibly broad, interdisciplinary field. It requires
expertise in physics, chemistry, materials science, biology,
mechanical and electrical engineering, medicine, and their
collective knowledge.

it is the boundary between atoms and molecules and the
macro world, where ultimately the properties are dictated by
the fundamental behavior of atoms.

it is one of the final great challenges for humans, in which the
control of materials at the atomic level is possible.
 The aim of the course
This course is aimed at the introduction of
nanomaterials and nanotechnologies:

Classification of nanomaterials

Size effects

Features of nanostructures

Physical background of nanostructures

Techniques of synthesis of nanomaterials

Tools of the nanoscience

Applications of nanomaterials and technologies
 Grading policy

Method of grading

The course grade is based on numerical scores that include a
presentation (P) and written assignments (essays) (T), and a cumulative
written final exam (E).

Grading criteria

Course paper presentation (P): The comprehensive understanding of the
chosen topic is evaluated. Students giving presentations should be able to
answer any question about a topic or fact that he or she brings up in the
presentation (within reason of course!).You brought it up– you answer
it! Grading is ranked 1 – 5.

Written assignments (essays) (T) – written short essays on
understanding of the materials of lecture (16 essays altogether). There
are no absolutely right or wrong answers, and grading is mostly based on
effort. Grading is ranked 1 – 5.

Final exam (E) – written cumulative exam consisting of 20 questions.
 Final grading

The final grade is according to the following
weighting system:

Essays 30%

Course paper presentation 20%

Final exam 50%
 Introduction to Nanoscience
Lecture 1
OUTLINE

-How big are small things or how small are big

MTX9100 ones?
Nanomaterjalid -What is nanotechnology?
-Can we see invisible?
-Will we live forever?
-Do we need nano?
How big is nanometer?
How small is nanometer?
A nanometer (nm) is one thousand
millionth of a meter (10-9).
For comparison,
a red blood cell is approximately 7,000 nm wide.
A water molecule is almost 0.3nm across.
10 hydrogen atoms lined up measure about 1 nm
A grain of sand is 1 million nm, or 1 millimeter,
wide.
The scale of things
A soccer ball with a diameter
∼ 30 cm = 3 x 10−1 m.

The width of a human hair (here placed on a

microchip at the white arrow) is roughly 104
times, i.e.
∼ 30 μm = 3 x 10−5 m.

The diameter of a carbon nanotube (here

placed on top of some metal electrodes) is
yet another 104 times smaller, i.e.
∼ 3 nm=3 x 10−9 m.
Length scales

M. Ashby, P. Ferreira, D. Schodek; Nanomaterials, Nanotechnologies and Design; Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd.
What is nanoscale science?

The study of objects and phenomena at a very small
scale, roughly 1 to 100 nanometers (nm)

We define nanoscience as the study of phenomena and
manipulation of materials at atomic, molecular and
macromolecular scales, where properties differ significantly
from those at a larger scale;

and nanotechnologies as the design, characterisation,
production and application of structures, devices and systems
by controlling shape and size at the nanometer scale.
 What is nanotechnology?

The design, characterization, production, and application of structures, devices,

and systems by controlled manipulation of size and shape at the nanometer
scale (atomic, molecular, and macromolecular scale) that produces structures,
devices, and systems with at least one novel/superior characteristic or property.
Historical milestones
Historical milestones
 How can we get to nano?
New Tools!

Optical microscopes
use light to
see objects as small
as 200 nm.
! Invented in 1600s.
Electrons help to see small sized objects
 New way to see things

– Allowed us to image individual atoms

– Small tip (a few atoms in size) is held above the conductive surface.
Electrons “tunnel” between the probe and surface (Quantum Mechanics).
–The tip is scanned across the surface measuring the current to create the image.
 Can we make small devices?
In 1965, Gordon E. Moore
(co-founder of Intel) observed
that the number of transistors
squeezed onto a computer chip
roughly every 18 months.

A modern computer chip contains more than 10 million transistors, and the smallest
wire width are incredibly small, now entering the sub 100 nm range. Just as the
American microprocessor manufacturer, Intel, at the end of 2003 shipped its first high-
volume 90 nm line width production to the market, the company announced that it
expects to ramp its new 65 nm process in 2005 in the production of static RAM chips.
Nanotechnology with active components is now part of ordinary consumer products.
Historical background
Moor’s law
 Where are nanoworld boundaries?

At some point, the laws of

physics will make it impossible
to keep downsizing
microelectronics at this rate.

Decrease in size results in the particles

physical – chemical properties changing
and, consequently, the properties of nano-
materials are changed dramatically and
sometime cordially.
 Size effects
Internal or intrinsic size effects are determined as a change of
the properties related to particles (the lattice parameters,
melting temperature, hardness, band gap, luminescence,
diffusion coefficients, chemical activity, sorption, etc.)
irrespective of external disturbances.

External size effects arise inevitably and always in the processes of

interaction between different physical fields and matters under
decreasing of their building units (the particles, grains, domains)
down to a crucial value, when this size becomes to be comparable
with a length of physical phenomena (the free length of electrons,
phonons, coherent length, screening length, irradiative wave length,
etc.).
What are the possible approaches to making
nanomaterials and nanotechnologies?

There are basically two routes: a top-down approach and a
bottom-up approach.

The idea behind the top-down approach is the following: An
operator first designs and controls a macroscale machine shop to
produce an exact copy of itself, but smaller in size. Subsequently,
this downscaled machine shop will make a replica of itself, but also
a few times smaller in size.

The concept of the bottom-up approach is that one starts with
atoms or molecules, which build up to form larger structures. In
this context, there are three important enabling bottom-up
technologies, namely (1) supramolecular and molecular chemistry,
(2) scanning probes, and (3) biotechnology.
 What is a color of gold?

Size-dependent color of gold

Absorption peak broadens and shifts to longer wavelengths.
Reflection, leading to scattering, is weak at small sizes and increases when > 50 nm.

1 nm gold particles
100 nm gold particles 20 nm gold particles
λabs = 420 nm
λabs = 575 nm λabs = 521 nm
Color = brown-yellow
Color = purple-pink Color = red
Who is a master of nano?

NATURE About 1 nm

Biology
 Ribosome - Perfect machine?

The role of the ribosome is to

act as a factory of proteins
by combining amino acids
together in a very specific
order.
A typical ribosome is located in
an aqueous solution
surrounded by thousands of
solutes.

M. Ashby, P. Ferreira, D. Schodek; Nanomaterials, Nanotechnologies and Design; Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd.
Bone – nanocomposite?
Will we live forever?
 Do we need nano?

Protestors at the Nano Commerce Conference

(Chicago, 2004)
Nanotechnology in the Marketplace
How do the experts view nano pop
culture?
 U.S. federal funding
trends in
nanotechnology,
2001–2009

National Nanotechnology Initiative:

Second Assessment and Recommendations of
National Advisory Panel, April 2008