REYNANOVIE C.

EDAYAN
ECE-4

NANOTECHNOLOGY: Understanding Small Systems

Ben Rogers
Sumita Pennathur
Jesse Adams

Nanotechnology: Understanding Small Systems, which is written by

Ben Rogers, Sumita Pennathur and Jesse Adams, provides a rigorous yet
accessible treatment of the worlds fastest-growing field. Nanotechnology
represents a convergence of many sciences and technologies. The
approached used in the book is system-based, demonstrating how an
understanding of the various areas underlying nanotechnology. Here you will
find realistic examples, creative homework problems and makes use of
original illustrations.
The authors emphasize both the fundamentals and the more complex
concepts, making the material accessible as well as challenging. The
explanations were straightforward, engaging and has a lot of surprises.
The book consists of ten chapters. The first chapter is a review lesson
about the smallest particle that can exist by itself which is atom. The second
chapter continues with the discussion of miniaturization. Miniaturization
comes with multifunctionality, from cellphones becoming smaller, laptops
getting lighter and many other things getting tinnier.
Chapter 3 introduces about Nanoscale Physics. It provides us
information about classical physics that perfectly describes many natural
phenomena. Quantum mechanics were also discussed which stresses the
necessity of understanding atoms, electrons and proton. It also introduces
the Uncertainty Principle which dictates that the more precisely somethings
position is determined, the less precisely its momentum is known.
The last seven chapters comprise the seven main facets of
nanotechnology: nanomaterials, nanomechanics, nanoelectronics, nanoscale
heat
transfer,
nanophotonics,
nanoscale
fluid
mechanics,
and
nanobiotechnology.

The fourth chapter which is the discussion of Nanomaterials covers

about composition of material. Starts with an explanation about how matter
matters greatly in nanotechnology. The usefulness of quantum mechanics in
some of the nanomaterials discussed in this chapter remains a focus in the
study of nanotechnology.
Nanomechanics in Chapter 5 tells that both classical mechanics and
quantum mechanics can be used to study the forces that move nanoscale
objects. Rogers et. al use finger-like tools to create topographical images of
surfaces, measure the forces between molecules, move atoms around
surface one at a time, and measure surface properties such as coefficient of
friction. Some topics in this chapter are discuss further in Chapter 7.
In the discussion of Nanoelectronics in Chapter 6, it is highlighted that
individual molecules may be useful as wires, switches, logic gates,
transistors, and memory storage elements.
Nanoscale Heat Transfer of Chapter 7 is a hot topic discoursing about
heat which is often discuss from a macroscale perspective. Heat is zoom in
all the way to the nanoscale to see the stuff that heat is actually made of.
Nanophotonics is all about photons. The eight chapter starts with the
birth of photons going back 1700 years ago or so, during the Roman Empire.
It continues with the discussion of how material interacts with photons.
Illustration of the patterns of materials with different permittivities are
shown. These patterns make it possible for photons to be confine, guided
and filtered.
Concepts of Nanoscale Fluid Mechanics is discussed in Chapter 9. The
authors introduce the theory than can predict the movement of small
molecules in nanochannels using Stokes flow. The applications of these sorts
of flows include the analysis of biomolecules, electrosmotic pumps for
cooling and pumping purposes.
The final chapter which is Nanobiotechnology, touches a couple of
applications of nanotechnology, including biomimetic structures and
biomolecular motors. Although these fields of study are both in their infancy,
there is an open door of possibilities in using existing biological structures for
technological applications.