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An Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

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Nanoscience and Plant–Soil Systems

Part of the book series: Soil Biology ((SOILBIOL,volume 48))

Abstract

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.

The reasons why nanoscale has become so important are presented. Historical aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology are introduced starting with the famous 1959 lecture by R. P. Feynman. Considering that recent inventions, discoveries, and breakthroughs in atomic and molecular aspects of nanoscale systems have been quite frequent, a selected list of recent advances and future prospects familiar to the author is presented here.

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Correspondence to G. Ali Mansoori .

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Mansoori, G.A. (2017). An Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In: Ghorbanpour, M., Manika, K., Varma, A. (eds) Nanoscience and Plant–Soil Systems. Soil Biology, vol 48. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46835-8_1

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