An Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

In this chapter we present an introduction to the principles and advances made in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology including inventions, discoveries, and design and study of molecular building blocks (MBBs) studied through nanoscience and applied in nanotechnology. Nanoscience is the study of systems in nanoscale and nanotechnology is the ability to systematically organize and manipulate properties and behavior of matter in the atomic and molecular levels. Through nanoscience and nanotechnology it has become possible to study and create very useful functional devices, materials, and systems on the 1–100 nm (one billionth of a meter) length scale.