Nanomaterials physicochemical properties

In recent years, we have seen an explosive interest in nanomaterials, in particular in nanofibers, nanofilaments, and nanotubes of the very different chemical composition. The interest arises from the specific mechanical and physicochemical properties of these nano objects, which allow them to be used, for example, as specific adsorbents, catalyst supports, reinforcing components of composite materials, and so on. The most cited generic types of nanomaterials are carbon nanofilaments and nanotubes. Numerous methods for preparing these carbon materials are known. However, the simplest method seems to be thermal pyrolysis of various carbon contain ing precursors (e.g., carbon monoxide, saturated and unsaturated hydro carbons, etc.) in the presence of special catalysts that are typically nanosized particles of nickel, cobalt, iron metals, or their alloys with different metals. 

TABLE 20.3. Some Physicochemical Properties that can Influent Toxicity/Carcinogenicity Potential of Nanomaterials... 

Figure 20.3. Physicochemical properties that can modify the biological effects of nanomaterials.

The physicochemical properties of nanometric-scale materials are part of the domain of nanoscience but, in specific situations, nanomaterials can converge with electrochemistry. For instance, if our previously pictured nanomaterials (nanocrys-... 

Manufactured nanomaterials must be evaluated for potential threats to the environment and human health to ensure safe implementation of nanotechnology. Due to the size-dependent properties of nanomaterials, the standard approaches for toxicology studies need to be assessed for nanomaterial-based products. Correlations between physicochemical properties of nanomaterials with environmental impacts and biological responses can only be accomplished through collaboration of investigators in a variety of scientific disciplines. This necessitates an interdisciplinary approach involving a research team to understand the environmental, health, and safety impacts of nanomaterials. 

In the process of production of nanomaterials, their physicochemical properties should be controllable. 

Abstract The combination of nanomaterials and ordered deformable soft materials is emerging as an enabling system in nanoscience and nanotechnology. In this context, nanomaterial functionalized photoresponsive liquid crystalline polymers are very promising and versatile systems due to their dynamic function. Moreover, the unique characteristic of nanomaterials combined with the mechanical, self-organizing and stimuli-responsive properties of deformable liquid crystalline polymers opens up new and exciting possibilities. In this chapter, we present recent developments of photodeformable behaviors of liquid crystalline polymers functionalized with nanomaterials. The main emphasis revolves around how the physicochemical properties of different nanomaterials modulate the reversible photomechanical behaviors of liquid crystalline polymers and their potential application in devices such as optically controlled switches and soft actuators. 

In recent years, nanotechnology and nanomaterials have been widely used in designing advanced functional materials based on photoresponsive LCPs. Although several reviews have concentrated on the photodeformable effect of LCPs and their applications in soft actuators [22], to date the influence of nanostructures and nanomaterials on the photodeformable properties of LCPs has not been summarized. In this chapter, we mainly focus on the utilization of special nanostructures and amazing physicochemical properties of nanomaterials to manipulate the photomechanical behaviors of LCPs. Fmthermore, their potential applications as light-driven devices and other future prospects are proposed. 

Therefore, the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles must be uniformly controlled for the biological behaviors of nanoparticles to be predictable as polydispersity within one batch of nanoparticles or between different batches of the same nanomaterials could result in significantly different interactions with cell membranes. Considering their spherical, highly deformable, and close-to-monodispersed properties, dendrimers and dendritic nanoparticles offer a great opportunity to precisely control their cellular interactions, which is advantageous for their use in biomedical applications. 

Properties of nanomaterials depend on the ionization potential and electronegativity of the metal ion, which has a characteristic influence on the electronic and surface properties by retaining the stoichiometry, homogeneity and other physicochemical properties nnder control as illnstrated in Tables 14.2 and 14.3 [34-37]. 

The popularity of silver nanoparticles (nAg) has its effect on the continuous development of methods for their obtaining and application. Similarly to all nanometric size materials, the characteristic properties of nAg are their very small size, a big surface area and unique physicochemical properties, which make silver the antibacterial. Among various nanomaterials like copper, zinc, titanium, magnesium and gold, nAg demonstrates the highest bactericidal efficacy against bacteria, viruses and other eukaryotic microorganisms [1]. 

Nanoparticles, when engineered appropriately, exhibit a variety of unique and tuneable physicochemical properties [53, 54]. These characteristics have made engineered nanoparticles as central components in an array of emerging technologies with widespread potential applications in material sciences and engineering. Large quantities of nanomaterials are already commercially available for commercial scale applications due to the establishment of well-developed nanomaterial production methods such as chemical vapour deposition and electrospinning. As a... 

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