What is nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology is often referred to as the “science of the very small”. Nanotechnology is defined by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as the application of scientific knowledge to manipulate and control matter in the nanoscale (size range from approximately 1 – 100 nm) in order to make use of size- and structure-dependent properties and phenomena, distinct from those associated with individual atoms, molecules or larger-scale materials (ISO, 2010).

Nanotechnology is being applied in a wide-range of industrial and technological sectors including food, information technology, energy, environment, security, textiles, and medicine, amongst others.