Nanotechnology and Materials Science: Innovations for Industry and Infrastructure

In recent decades, nanotechnology has transformed conventional chemistry and material science, and biology in different ways. Not only does the traditional research topic in academia experiences rejuvenation as a result of this, but also in fact most of today’s cutting-edge industry gains benefits from nanotechnology innovation. It is deemed that nanotechnology lays a reliable and solid foundation and has supported our human beings to fulfill our dreams and aspirations which could hardly imagine before, contributing to dramatic changes in our life. New and extraordinary properties of nanoscale materials over conventional materials in molecular or bulk scale, have been taken advantage. Therefore, new products and market opportunities are generated from these fresh nanomaterials obtained from new tools, instruments and precision processing technologies, new material characterizations, as well as new microstructure control methodologies, which finally contribute to the development of industry and infrastructure. Thus, this chapter presents the applications of nanotechnology particularly focusing on the manufacturing techniques in nanoscale from these two perspectives, (i) Industry, which covers medical and pharmaceutics, cosmetic, food industry, textile industry, and (ii) Infrastructure, involving construction, energy, water and environment. The representative achievements in the characterization methods of nanoscale materials and related standards are also summarized. Finally, the challenges, future trends, and implications of nanotechnology development in industry and infrastructure are discussed and proposed.