Nanotechnology particle characteristics

Table 1.1 summarizes the types of processes for generating nanoparticles that are currently involved in the top-down and bottom-up approaches (or their mixed variants). It should be noted that many of these processes have their origin and primary applications predominantly in the pharmaceutical industry so far the commercial food applications of nanotechnology are still in their infancy. For each of the processes mentioned in Table 1.1, the kinds of nanoparticles involved are listed along with a brief indication of their characteristic properties and their approximate particle dimensions. Also presented are some recent literature sources on these various topics (mainly review-type articles) where the interested reader can obtain further background material. 

The term nanotechnology refers to the science and engineering of new materials, structures, and devices and processes at the so-called nanoscale, which covers the range of sizes typically from 10 to 10 m. When particles become very small, their properties change for two reasons. Whereas a large particle of a material will have properties characteristic of the bulk material of which it is made, for very small particles, the interaction of the particle with its surroundings becomes dominated by the characteristics of its surfaces and interfaces, which are in turn determined by the structural and electronic properties of the atoms at or near the surface. This is because as a particle becomes smaller and smaller, a larger... 

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