During the 1980’s, Nobel prize-winning research made it possible to observe and manipulate individual atoms, opening up a new research field now referred to as nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology has become a common buzz word, best defined by the size of the material building block. The size range is typically from 100 nm (nanometre) down to the atomic level.

At these scales, materials can change their behaviour - their chemical reactivity and optical, magnetic or electrical properties become very different. For example, solid materials can become transparent or soluble. The two main reasons for these changes in behaviour are an increased relative surface area, and the dominance of quantum effects. Products based on nanotechnology are already commercially available, such as nanostructured coatings, nano powders and even certain consumer products, such as cosmetics and clothes that are modified using nanotechnology.