What Are Nanomaterials?

Unbelievably small, but infinitely impressive, nanomaterials are a next generation technology that is used in everything from medical innovation to cosmetics. But what makes a nanomaterial so special? 

In this guide, we’ll explain what nanomaterials are and how they differ from their bulk counterparts, to how they’re made and how they can be used by different industries.
 

What are nanomaterials?

Materials come in all shapes and sizes, and have their own characteristics in each form. Nanomaterials are on the nanoscale, which is a state in which their properties change significantly compared to the properties they exhibit as a whole material (on the macroscale). Or, to put it another way, the properties of a bulk material frequently change when they are produced on the nanoscale.

But when is something considered a nanomaterial? 

In order for something to be classified as a nanomaterial, at least one of the dimensions has to be on the nanoscale; more specifically between 1 and 100 nanometres. A nanometre is one millionth of a millimetre, which, for context, is 100,000 times smaller in diameter than a human hair!

Once something has been deemed a nanomaterial, there are further ways it can be classified depending on:

• Origin: nanomaterials can be naturally occurring in nature and the body, or man-made. 
  • There is also a subset of man-made nanomaterials, depending on if they have been made incidentally, or engineered.
• Composition: nanomaterials may be made of organic materials (like liposomes or dendrimers), or inorganic materials (like metals and metal oxides).
  Dimension: according to a 2024 review article, “every material in space has three dimensions: length, width, and height”. Nanomaterials can be separated into 0-dimensional, 1-dimensional, and 2-dimensional depending on how many of these dimensions fit within the nanoscale.
  • 0-dimensional nanostructures: this covers materials who have all three dimensions on the nanoscale.
  • 1-dimensional nanostructures: if two dimensions sit on the nanoscale, they’re categorised as 1-dimensional nanostructures. 
  • 2-dimensional nanostructures: nanomaterials with only one dimension in the nanoscale are split into 2-dimensional nanostructures.
     

How are nanomaterials made?

Knowing what they are, the natural next step is to look at how nanomaterials are made. 

As we mentioned above, some nanomaterials are naturally occurring; either in nature, or the human body. Naturally occurring nanomaterials include:

• Volcanic ash and soot, which can range anywhere between 45 to 900nm.
• Viruses, which tend to range between 5-300nm.
• Proteins like haemoglobin, which is only around 5nm in diameter.

The other category covers man-made nanomaterials. These can fall into two categories: nanomaterials specifically engineered to take advantage of their unique characteristics, and those made as a by-product of other processes (like combustion). The latter of these are the incidental nanomaterials we mentioned previously, and are still important to understand the results and impact of a reaction.

However, for now we’re more interested in the former. Engineered nanomaterials, or ENMs, are ultimately created for a reason. The unique properties certain materials exhibit at nanoscale make them perfect for designing innovative technologies, or to solve specific problems (as we discuss further below). Nanomaterials can be engineered through two ways:

• Top-down: this is where a bulk material (a macrostructure) is broken down onto the nanoscale.
• Bottom-up: this is where atoms and molecules are manipulated to form a new structure.

Nanomaterials can be formed into powders, particles, tubes, and coatings; and are made from a range of materials including metals, ceramics, polymeric materials (made from repeating units called monomers), or composite materials (those made from two or more constituent substances). 

In order to manufacture nanomaterials, you will need some more high-tech tools and machinery. Regular microscopes are not strong enough, so at the very least access to an election microscope to see nanoparticles is essential. To work and manipulate the materials, nanotechnologists can use Scanning Tunnelling Microscopes to help assemble the nanoparticles into the desired shape.
 

Advantages of nanomaterials

As we have mentioned before, nanomaterials have different properties to their macro counterparts. Therefore, it’s not surprising to know that ENMs are not made arbitrarily; there is always a specific purpose for their production. Some of the key advantages to using nanomaterials include:

• Increased strength, chemical reactivity, and conductivity.
• Increased porosity and absorption.
• A comparatively large surface area, which improves the speed of surface-level reactions - which is useful for developing catalysts.
• Can be tailored to meet specific requirements.
• Changes to fluorescence can be used for sensors and new detection methods.

Each of these properties can be used by different industries to innovate technology and find new solutions to common problems (as you will see below).

Disadvantages of nanomaterials

However, there are always two sides to any story - and the use of nanomaterials is no different. There are some clear disadvantages that encourage caution with their use.

• The potential effects on the human body and the ecosystem are not fully known, which means we do not have a complete grasp of the risks associated with the technology, nor the correct safety protocols to put in place.
• Their small size makes them easy to ingest or inhale accidentally, which can be exceptionally dangerous. There is a risk of higher toxicity, especially if the nanomaterial is insoluble as it can penetrate biological membranes or linger in the body.
• Nanomaterials can easily get washed away, potentially affecting water systems and the environment, and negatively impacting marine life, reproduction, and future growth.

As research continues, some of these disadvantages may be mitigated by new knowledge. At present (2025) there is still the need for care and enhanced safety when working with nanomaterials, but this should not stop their development entirely.
 

Nanomaterials across different industries

The use of nanomaterials is a lot more common than you may think. Several industries make use of this technology for a range of purposes, some of which we have listed below.

• Medical technology: nanomaterials can be used in new and innovative ways in the medical sphere, including:
  • Targeted drug delivery for specific cells to help fight off bacteria, or cellular diseases like cancer.
  • Sophisticated medical testing where the fluorescent changes can be used for enhanced detection and imaging.
  • Antibacterial bandages could make a massive difference to wound treatment and infection risks.
• Water purification and treatment: the increased porosity and absorption of nanomaterials make them perfect for water purification. As they’re more attractive to water and oil, they’re also incredibly valuable in recovery efforts after oil spills.
• Advanced technology and electronics: as electronics are becoming increasingly small and sophisticated, nanomaterials are incredibly valuable. They can make highly conductive, efficient semiconductors on the nanoscale. Nanomaterials can also make electronics more accurate, and the increased strength and conductivity of nanomaterials can help increase the storage and capacity of batteries.
• Alternative energy: nanomaterials can be used in solar panels to make them more efficient and cost-effective in the long run.
• Commercial products: nanomaterials also have a presence in the more commercial sphere, including:
  • Sunscreen: zinc oxide and titanium oxide on the nanoscale are added to mineral sunscreens to block UV light without the whitening that can happen from conventional creams.
  • Cosmetics: liposomes can encase ingredients to improve their delivery to the skin, as well as help to stabilise the cosmetic product.
  • Sports equipment: carbon nanotubes are used to produce lighter sports equipment without sacrificing strength and durability.
  • Food packaging and sensors: nanomaterials can improve the mechanical strength of packaging, in addition to supporting more antioxidising or antibacterial technologies.
• Agriculture: nanofertilisers can be used to improve the nutritional management of crops, while nanopesticides have an increased solubility and protect agrochemicals from degrading.
   

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