0D, 1D, 2D & 3D Nano Materials: Synthesis and Applications

Grains are the building blocks of many materials. Grains are in turn comprised of many atoms. The visibility of grains to the naked eye depends on their sizes. Conventional material grain sizes fall in the sub-millimetre to centimetres range. On the other hand, average grain sizes of nanomaterials are less than 100 nm. Property improvements such as lower weight or higher strength can be achieved by using nanomaterials. They constitute a bridge between atomic/molecular and bulk systems. New or enhanced size- and shape-dependent properties can be achieved by using nanomaterials, and hence they are of interest for everyday applications, including electronics and medicine, and also for military defence. From an application viewpoint it is also necessary to develop a convenient method for selective functionalization of nanostructures. In this chapter we focus on the concept, importance, properties and synthetic processes of 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D nanostructured materials (NSMs) followed by summaries of their functionalization and applications in Defence.