A Fundamental Review of the Relationships between Nanotechnology and Lignocellulosic Biomass - The Nanoscience and Technology of Renewable Biomaterials - page 7

Table1.1 Characteristiclengthsinsolid-statesciencemodel.

Property Scale length

Mechanics
Dislocation interaction 1-1000 nm

Grain boundaries 1-10 nm

Crack tip radii 1-100 nm

Nucleation/growth defect 0.1-10 nm

Surface corrugation 1-10 nm

Supramolecules
Kuhn length

1-100 nm

Secondary structure 1-10 nm

Tertiary structure 10-1000 nm

Electronics
Electronic wavelength 10-100 nm

Inelastic mean free path 1-100 nm

Tunneling 1-10 nm

Magnetics
Domain wall 10-100 nm

Spin-flip scattering length 1-100 nm

Optics
Quantum well 1-100 nm

Evanescent wave decay length 10-100 nm

Metallic skin depth 10-100 nm

Source: Murday (2002); Pritkethly (2003).

To date, major national research and development efforts have generally been focused
on how nanotechnology can improve efficiency in manufacturing, energy resources
and utilization, reduce environmental impacts of industry and transportation, enhance
healthcare, produce better pharmaceuticals, improve agriculture and food production,
and expand the capabilities of information technologies. Breakthroughs in nanoscale
science and engineering are seen as a foundation for systemic economic progress.
Nanotechnology is expected to lower raw materials costs in some industries; dramat-
ically improve productivity in others; create some entirely new industries; and increase
demand for some goods while lowering demand for others. Over the course of the 21st
century we will transition from the relatively crude and unsophisticated technologies
society depends upon today to highly efficient and environmentally friendly nanotech-
nologies. Industries that have been regarded as traditional, with few new scientific
challenges, are re-emerging as exciting new areas. The challenges involved with devel-
oping and industrially applying nanotechnology are enormous and it is only now that
we have the scientific tools to address biomaterials such as wood and paper. Maxi-
mizing human benefit will require the development of transformational tools that can be
shared across scientific disciplines and industries such as: new scientific instrumentation;
overarching theoretical concepts; methods of interdisciplinary communication; and new
techniques for production such as those bridging the gap between organic and inorganic
materials.