Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials

Nanotechnology involves the manipulation and engineering of matter at the nanoscale, specifically between 1 and 100 nanometers, where quantum confinement effects dominate classical physical behavior. Carbon allotropes play a central role: carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibit extraordinary tensile strength and thermal conductivity, while graphene—a two-dimensional single-atom-thick layer of $sp^2$-hybridized carbon discovered by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov in 2004—demonstrates exceptional electron mobility. Fullerenes ($C_{60}$, or Buckyballs) serve as molecular cages for targeted drug delivery in nanomedicine. India launched the Nano Mission in 2007 under the Department of Science and Technology to build advanced fabrication infrastructure and foster nano-biotechnology research.