Nanoscience and Technology: A Collection of Reviews from Nature Journals

Nanoscience and Technology: A Collection of Reviews from Nature Journals

Nanoscience and Technology: A Collection of Reviews from Nature Journals

Article Type: Book review From: Assembly Automation, Volume 30, Issue 2

Peter Rodgers,World Scientific,Singapore,2009,$168.00,368 pp.,ISBN: 978-981-4282-68-0,web site: www.worldscibooks.com/nanosci/7439.html

In 1960, Richard Feynman envisioned the reduction of the entire contents of the Encyclopedia Britannica onto the head of a pin. Since that time, there have been tremendous advancements in the fields of “miniaturization science and technology” as evidenced by the collection of remarkable articles in this book. The interest in nanotechnology has increased significantly in the last decade. This groundswell provides the impetus for the continued evolution of nanotechnology and the expansion into novel nano-applications that were previously unattainable, or perhaps, even unimaginable. This book contains a collection of 35 recent scientific articles selected from eight Nature Publishing Group journals including: Nature, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Materials, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Photonics, Nature Reviews/Drug Discoveries, Nature Reviews/Genetics and Nature Reviews/Neuroscience. The articles are grouped, accordingly, into six chapters comprising the following topics:

1. 1.

   Nanomaterials and nanostructures.

2. 2.

   Molecular machines and devices.

3. 3.

   Nanoelectronics.

4. 4.

   Nanophotonics.

5. 5.

   Nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine.

6. 6.

   Selected applications.

The editor provides a brief outline of the book’s contents and layout.

The introduction, written by James Heath, offers a “bird’s eye view” of the technological dependent drivers of nanotechnology, particularly the challenges of the developmental phase, and the opportunities presented by new and emerging applications. The quality of the articles presented in this book is outstanding. They span the breadth of the latest advancements of the leading researchers in nanoscience. A sample selection includes a discussion on “monodisper se single-walled carbon nanotubes”, “biological motors for nanoscale transport and assembly”, “DNA nanomachines”, “nanoparticle therapeutics for cancer treatment”, “light in tiny holes”, “neuroscience nanotechnology”, “biomimetics of photonic nanostructures” and “nanocarriers for biodetoxification” to list but a few. The book, as a whole, is an invaluable source of information in the area of nanoscience, particularly nano-physics and nano-specific experimental methods. This book would be a very useful resource for graduate level students and researchers, as apart from the 35 articles presented in the text, over 3,000 additional references are cited within the articles in the book. Additionally, the book can serve as a textbook for fourth year university science or engineering students taking a “specialized” class in nanotechnology. In this regard, the book provides ample material for a final term course project.

Unfortunately, books such as this can be prone to becoming somewhat “dated” in a relatively short period of time. The “relevancy” of journal articles, in general, diminishes as fresh, up-to-date developments and discoveries are reported in the respective fields of research. However, the basic physics and chemistry of the technology presented will not be challenged for the foreseeable future, making this book an excellent time enduring reference, and the articles will provide an historical perspective, in the respective areas of nanotechnology, for discussion about past and future trends and directions in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The articles contained within the book are very well written, making them a pleasure to read. They also include high quality colour graphics that provide, for the reader, an elegant visual connection to what is being discussed in the text.

Gino RinaldiDefence R&D Canada, Air Vehicles Research Section, Department of National Defence, Ottawa, Canada