Prospects of Some Applications of Engineered Nanomaterials: A review

Abstract

Nanomaterials are materials engineered with extremely small particle size having at least one dimension in the range of 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). It is well established that when materials are produced in nano scale, they demonstrate unique electronic, magnetic, catalytical as well as optical properties that candidate them for wide range of applications in engineering, medical and environmental fields. An extensive variety of nanomaterials has been manufactured, and already been used in many products and much more extensive utilization is expected in the future. The contribution of nanotechnology to research and development in industrial sectors results in increasing the efficiency and productivity of the industrial processes and brings huge promise in producing new nanomaterials and products, with tailored characteristics that offer unique properties compared to the bulk materials. The present review elucidates the role of nanomaterials and its applications in coatings, sensors, adsorbents, drug delivery, and catalysts. Several research articles that are addressing the applications of nanomaterials in these fields are included. Limitations hinder the large scale production and applications of nanomaterials and the future prospects are also summarized.