This book is an excellent starting point for undergraduate students who are interested in nanoparticle science and technologies. It covers the fundamentals and applications of nanoparticles and not nanoscale materials in a broader perspective. The remarkable progress of nanoparticle technology in physics, chemistry, materials science, and medicine, and its ability to expand their boundaries are discussed. This book will encourage further exploration of this exciting field.
The first chapter gives a short introduction about the history of nanoparticle technology with the help of band diagrams. The second chapter talks about the evolution of nanoparticle technology in semiconducting materials and its application in solar energy, biological imaging, etc. Pictorial representations of band models help the reader to visualize different types of materials such as metals, semiconductors, and insulators. Synthesis and applications of quantum dots in solar panels, photonic applications, and biological applications are discussed with beautiful images and experimental setups. Physical properties and applications of metal nanoparticles are discussed in the third chapter. Properties and applications of gold and silver nanoparticles in different fields such as molecular sensors, electrochemical sensors, catalytic applications, and biomedical applications are discussed extensively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showing the evolution of silver/gold nanomaterials into different morphologies are attractive. Synthesis and the physical properties of metal alloy nanomaterials are discussed in the second part of the third chapter. The fourth chapter talks about metal oxide nanoparticles such as Fe3O4, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, and rare-earth oxide nanoparticles. Synthesis of magnetic oxide nanoparticles and their application in antitumor therapy is beautifully explained with appropriate SEM morphology images and cartoons. Rare-earth oxides such as CeO and Gd2O3 preparation and applications are discussed in the second part of the chapter. Naturally occurring biological nanomaterials and man-made synthetic nanoparticles and their applications in the organic and biological fields are discussed in the fifth chapter. Molecular formulas and electron microscope images of biological entities such as amino acids, amyloid nanofibers, and peptide nanotubes help the reader to understand the concepts easily. The sixth chapter talks about two or more atomic entities belonging to two different families (hybrid and composite nanoparticles). Integrating metal-semiconducting nanoparticles (e.g., CdS-FePt and Au/PbS), their morphological/structural changes, and their applications are discussed. Metal oxide hybridization is discussed in the second part of the chapter. Applications of nanoparticles in biology and biomedicine are discussed briefly in the seventh chapter. Nanoparticle transport across cell barriers and the effects of nanoparticles on cell entities are depicted with beautiful cartoons. The effect of electrostatic interaction between DNA and nanoparticles is explained with the help of clear images. Unique properties of nanoparticle assemblies and their applications are discussed in the eighth chapter. Gold nanoparticle assembly is discussed extensively with appropriate schematics and electron microscopy images. Semiconducting nanoparticle assemblies and multicomponent nanoparticle assemblies are briefly discussed at the end. Up-to-date references are given for each chapter as further reading.
In summary, this book gives a good introduction to very basic ideas about experimental and conceptual approaches applied to the field of nanoparticles. Even though detailed models, theoretical backgrounds, and example problems are not given in any of the chapters, the text gives a very good glimpse of nanoparticles.
Reviewer: K. Kamala Bharathiof the National Institute of Standards and Technology/University of Maryland, USA.
