nanoparticle
Billionth-of-meter scale
A nanoparticle is an extremely small particle, typically measuring between 1 and 100 nanometers—a nanometer being one billionth of a meter.
At this scale, materials often exhibit properties different from their larger forms, behaving differently in terms of strength, conductivity, or chemical reactivity.
Nanoparticles occur naturally in volcanic ash and sea spray but are also engineered for applications in medicine, electronics, and materials science.
The sunscreen contains zinc oxide nanoparticles for UV protection.
Element seventy-nine
- silverLustrous white precious metal
- silicaSilicon dioxide compound
- oxideOxygen-bonded compound
- carbonSixth element, atomic symbol C
polymer · ceramic · metallic · semiconductor · fullerene · graphene · lipid · crystalline
Administering medicine to body
- nanomedicineMolecular-level medical technology
- diagnosticTest to identify problems
- liposomeBilayer sphere for delivery
- biocompatibleAccepted by living tissue
bioavailability · pharmacokinetics · immunotherapy · cytotoxicity · antibody · peptide · encapsulation · biodegradable
Evenly suspended throughout
- dispersionScattering across space
- agglomerationCollected mass of parts
- stabilizationProcess of becoming steady
- self-assemblySpontaneous structural organization
sputtering · etching · doping · precipitation · sonication · centrifugation · surfactant · precursor
Nanoscale conductive filament
- nanotubeNanoscale carbon cylinder
- nanocageNanoscale hollow framework
- nanofiberUltrathin synthetic strand
- nanosphereSpherical particle, nanoscale
core-shell · hollow · porous · spherical · cylindrical · morphology · lattice · faceted
Tendency to chemically combine
- opticalOf vision or light
- catalyticPromoting change unchanged
- luminescentEmitting soft light
- fluorescenceLight emitted after absorption
absorbance · hydrodynamic · toxicity · stability · aggregation · biocompatibility · hydrophobic · hydrophilic
gold
Element seventy-nine
carbon · polymer · ceramic · metallic · semiconductor · fullerene · graphene · lipid · crystalline · amorphous
drug-delivery
Administering medicine to body
- nanomedicineMolecular-level medical technology
- diagnosticTest to identify problems
- liposomeBilayer sphere for delivery
biocompatible · bioavailability · pharmacokinetics · immunotherapy · cytotoxicity · antibody · peptide · encapsulation · biodegradable · therapeutic
colloidal
Evenly suspended throughout
- dispersionScattering across space
- agglomerationCollected mass of parts
- stabilizationProcess of becoming steady
self-assembly · sputtering · etching · doping · precipitation · sonication · centrifugation · surfactant · precursor · reduction
nanowire
Nanoscale conductive filament
- nanotubeNanoscale carbon cylinder
- nanocageNanoscale hollow framework
- nanofiberUltrathin synthetic strand
nanosphere · core-shell · hollow · porous · spherical · cylindrical · morphology · lattice · faceted · dendritic
reactivity
Tendency to chemically combine
- opticalOf vision or light
- catalyticPromoting change unchanged
- luminescentEmitting soft light
fluorescence · absorbance · hydrodynamic · toxicity · stability · aggregation · biocompatibility · hydrophobic · hydrophilic · charge
ultrafine
Exceptionally small in size
- molecularOf tiny particles
- angstromSubatomic length unit
- microscopicToo small for eyes
- Microscopicbacterium, virus, amoeba, paramecium, microbe
- condensed mattercrystal, metal, semiconductor, superconductor, insulator
- Nanotechnanotube, nanowire, nanotech, nanorobotics, nanomachine
- catalystsenzyme, catalyst, active site, platinum, coenzyme
- drug deliverydrug delivery, injection, time release, delayed release, capsule
- gene deliveryviral vector, lentivirus, adenovirus, retrovirus, plasmid