Engineering Chemistry
What are nano materials? How they are different from bulk materials?
Nanomaterials are materials that have at least one dimension in the range of 1 to 100 nm. (1 nm = 10⁻⁹ m). Examples: carbon nanotubes, graphene, gold nanoparticles. Difference between Nanomaterials and Bulk Materials Bulk materials have size greater than 100 nm, while nanomaterials have size in the range of 1 to 100 nm. Bulk materials have a low surface area to volume ratio, while nanomaterials have a very high surface area to volume ratio. In bulk materials, properties are independent of size, while in nanomaterials, properties depend on size due to quantum effects and surface effects. Bulk materials have a fixed melting point, while nanomaterials have a lower melting point.