Nanomaterials Chemistry: Recent Developments and New Directions.
Edited by C. N. R. Rao (Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore,
India), A. Mu¨ ller (University of Bielefeld, Germany), and A. K. Cheetham (University of California, Santa Barbara).
Wiley-VCH, GmbH & Co. KGaA: Weinheim. 2007. xvi +
404 pp. $200. ISBN 978-3-527-31664-9.
This is a very timely book that will prove to be a valuable resource both for those entering the field of nanomaterials chemistry and for those already well established in it. It is an edited volume consisting of 11 chapters on a range of subtopics, all written by leaders in this important emerging field of materials science. Each chapter is relatively self-contained.
The volume begins with a number of chapters on chemical synthesis, e.g., “Recent Developments in the Synthesis, Properties and Assemblies of Nanocrystals” by Thomas and O’Brien and “Nonaqueous Sol-Gel Routes to Nanocrystalline Metal Oxides” by Niederberger and Antonietti, and ends with an excellent chapter on the physics of “Nanoscale Electronic Inhomogeneities in Complex Oxides” by Shenoy et al. A comprehensive survey of carbon and inorganic-based nanotubes and nanowire materials is also provided by Vivekchand et al., with over 460 references from 2005 and 2006 alone.
For those interested in applications, there are several chapters that more than satisfy this need. In “Applications of Nanostructured Hybrid Materials for Supercapacitors”, Murugan and Vijayamohanan describe advances in this rapidly developing alternative method for the storage of electrical energy where nanomaterials could have a major impact. There is also a chapter by Jayaraman on dendrimers and their applications as chemical and biochemical nanoscale sensors. Narayan and Dutta provide an interesting chapter on “Molecular Approaches in Organic/ Polymeric Field-effect Transistors”. These low-cost devices could have a major impact in the electronics industry in the near future.
In the following chapter, “Supramolecular Approaches to Molecular Machines”, Grossel describes the synthesis and properties of catenanes and rotaxanes. For those with a biochemical bent, there is a short chapter by Reches and Gazit on recent developments in peptide-based nanomaterials.
Some chapters are tutorial in character and very educational. For example, the chapters on “Growth of Nanocrystals in Solution” by Viswanatha and Sarma and “Surface Plasmon Resonances in Nanostructured Materials” by Thomas thoroughly cover the concepts, principles, and theories behind these important phenomena.
With over 400 pages, the volume is modestly priced at $200.00. I highly recommend it both for individual researchers and for institutional libraries.
Richard D. Adams, UniVersity of South Carolina JA806755N
Link:
http://pubs3.acs.org/acs/journals/doilookup?in_doi=10.1021/ja806755n
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