Food, medicines, cosmetics, dress materials and gold covering ornaments are all associated with chemistry. When chemical principles and theories are applied to various fields in order to achieve specific results or to solve real-world problems, it is called applied chemistry.
1. Nanochemistry
- Definition: Nanochemistry is a branch of nanoscience that deals with the chemical applications of nanomaterials in nanotechnology.
- It involves synthesis and manipulation of materials at atomic and molecular level and the study of their physical and chemical properties.
Size of Nanoparticles
The word Nano is derived from the Greek word 'Nanos', which represents a billionth fraction of a unit. 1 nanometre (nm) = 1/1,000,000,000 metre = 10^-9 metre.
| Example on the nanoscale | Size |
|---|---|
| Virus most usually responsible for the common cold | Diameter of 30 nm |
| Cell membrane | Around 9 nm across |
| DNA double helix | 2 nm across |
| One hydrogen atom | Diameter of around 0.2 nm |