nanosystems
Tiny engineered devices
Nanosystems are engineered structures or devices built at the nanometer scale—roughly one to one hundred billionths of a meter.
The term encompasses machines, materials, and electronic components designed to operate at molecular dimensions: Researchers are developing nanosystems for targeted drug delivery.
The field draws from physics, chemistry, and engineering to manipulate matter at its smallest useful scale.
Billionths of meters
- molecularOf tiny particles
- atomsSmallest elemental units
- moleculesBonded atomic groups
- angstromsTen-billionths of meters
submicroscopic · microscale · quantum · minuscule · tiny · particles · biomolecules · DNA
Creating nanometer-scale structures
- self-assemblySpontaneous structural organization
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- bottom-upStarting from fundamentals
- top-downDirected from highest level
deposition · etching · patterning · synthesis · templating · layer-by-layer
Molecular-level medical technology
- nanoroboticsMolecular-scale machine science
- drug-deliveryAdministering medicine to body
- biosensorsDevices detecting via biological reactions
- nanobatteriesNanoscale energy storage devices
Nature-inspired design field
- nanosensorsNanoscale detection devices
- modularityDivisibility into independent units
- integrationCombining into a whole
- miniaturizationReducing physical scale significantly
engineering · precision · programmable · responsive · adaptive · multifunctional · hierarchical · specificity
Hollow molecular cylinders
- grapheneMonolayer carbon hexagonal lattice
- nanowiresAtom-scale conductive strands
- nanocrystalsCrystalline structures under 100nm
- buckyballsSpherical carbon allotropes
Spontaneous internal structure emergence
- emergenceComing into existence
- electrostaticOf stationary electrical charges
- tunnelingDigging underground passages
- confinementState of being restricted
thermodynamics · kinetics · diffusion · aggregation · stability · reactivity · entropy
nanometers
Billionths of meters
angstroms · submicroscopic · microscale · quantum · minuscule · tiny · particles · biomolecules · DNA · proteins
nanofabrication
Creating nanometer-scale structures
- self-assemblySpontaneous structural organization
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- bottom-upStarting from fundamentals
top-down · deposition · etching · patterning · synthesis · templating · layer-by-layer
nanomedicine
Molecular-level medical technology
- nanoroboticsMolecular-scale machine science
- drug-deliveryAdministering medicine to body
- biosensorsDevices detecting via biological reactions
biomimetics
Nature-inspired design field
- nanosensorsNanoscale detection devices
- modularityDivisibility into independent units
- integrationCombining into a whole
miniaturization · engineering · precision · programmable · responsive · adaptive · multifunctional · hierarchical · specificity
nanotubes
Hollow molecular cylinders
- grapheneMonolayer carbon hexagonal lattice
- nanowiresAtom-scale conductive strands
- nanocrystalsCrystalline structures under 100nm
self-organization
Spontaneous internal structure emergence
- emergenceComing into existence
- electrostaticOf stationary electrical charges
- tunnelingDigging underground passages
confinement · thermodynamics · kinetics · diffusion · aggregation · stability · reactivity · entropy
nanosystemsmegastructures
Immense artificial constructs
heavy machinery · planetary systems · industrial machinery · microsystems
system, systematic, systemic, subsystem, systematically, nano, nanoscale, nanotechnology, nanoparticle