Often called molecular or chemical nanotechnology, this fundamentally different area of nanotechnology results from starting at the atomic scale and building up materials and structures, atom by atom. It is essentially molecular engineering. This is accomplished by utilizing the forces of nature to assemble nanostructures – the term “self assembly” is often used. Here the forces of chemistry are in control and we have, at least to date,
2
somewhat less flexibility in making arbitrary structures. The nanomaterials created this way, however, have resulted in a number of consumer products. Significant advances continue, the more we explore and understand the area of chemical nanotechnology.