The world faces a number of grand challenges such as climate
change, environmental degration, energy, water and food shortages,
and public health issues. A nanometer (nm) is one-billionth of a
meter. At nanoscale (around 100 nm or less) materials
can show
marked changes in optical, magnetic, electrical, chemical and
physical properties, facts that have been known for some time but
are only recently being exploited. Such properties mean that
nanotechnology is a very exciting area and may help to find
solutions to medical, social and environmental problems which
adversely impact upon the quality of life of the people. This
research aims to highlight nanotechnology and some of their
applications, in addition to some analytical methods and equipments
used to measure the structures of nanomaterials and potential risks
when dealing with this technology. We also present the results
obtained from application of nanotechnology in the field of gas
sensors.
