Nanotechnology in Space Exploration: Report of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Workshop Held in Palo Alto, California on 24-26 August 2004.

摘要

Ever since man started taking control of the environment and shaping things to meet human needs, he has endeavored to understand matter at its fundamental level. Since the dawn of the 21st century it has become possible to study, design, and synthesize structures with the precision of one-billionth of a meter (nanometer). Nanoscience is the study of the fundamental principles of matter at the scale of approximately 1,100 nm, while nanotechnology is the application of such knowledge to making materials and devices. Nanostructures are among the smallest entities that can be made, but more importantly, nanostructures possess unique features. At the nanometer scale (nanoscale), many properties of matter are different from the properties at the macroscale. As an example, gold nanoparticles possess entirely different chemical, physical, electrical, magnetic, and collective properties than bulk gold. The understanding and control of such unique properties enable nanofabrication. Fundamental research at the nanoscale is crucial in order to understand how matter is constructed and how its properties reflect its components, such as atomic composition, shape, and size. This task requires a highly interdisciplinary effort among chemists, physicists, biologists, material scientists, and engineers. From a technology and applications standpoint, the unique properties at the nanoscale result in extraordinary characteristics at the macroscale. The impact areas are vast, ranging from consumer products such as construction materials, textiles, and cosmetics to electronic devices such as memory sticks and sensors.