At the heart of this thesis is the young field of free electron laser science, whose experimental and theoretical basics are described here in a comprehensible manner. Extremely bright and ultra short pulses from short wavelength free-electron lasers (FELs) have recently opened the path to new fields of research. The x-ray flashes transform all matter into highly excited plasma states within femtoseconds, while their high spatial and temporal resolution allows the study of fast processes in very small structures. Even imaging of single molecules may be within reach if ultrafast radiation damage can be understood and brought under control. Atomic clusters have proven to be ideal model systems for light-matter interaction studies in all wavelength regimes, being size scalable, easy-to-produce gas phase targets with a simple structure. With FELs, "single cluster imaging and simultaneous ion spectroscopy" makes possible experiments under extremely well defined initial conditions, because the size of the cluster and the FEL intensity can be extracted from the scattering images. For the first time large xenon clusters up to micron radius were generated. Their single cluster scattering images were analyzed for cluster morphology and traces of the ultrafast plasma built-up during the femtosecond FEL pulse. The simultaneously measured single cluster ion spectra yield unprecedented insight into the ion dynamics following the interaction. The results will feed both future experimental effort and theoretical modeling.

This volume is based on some representative contributions presented in the wo- shop: "Trends in nanophysics: theory, experiment, technology," which took place in Sibiu, Romania, 23-29 August 2009, being organized by ICTP-Trieste, IAEA, IFIN-HH - Bucharest and ULB - Sibiu. The aim of this workshop was to faci- tate experts and active researchers to exchange ideas and information on the most recent results in nanophysics and nanotechnology. It was also an opportunity for young researchers and for researchers from developing countries to enlarge their knowledge and to approach new themes in this area. In fact, the articles contained in this book represent written and enriched versions of the workshop oral presentations. The topics covered by them are the following: 1. Ordered atomic-scale structures 2. Nanowires: growth and properties 3. Transport phenomena in nanostructures 4. Optical properties of nanostructures 5. Magnetic nanophases; magnetic and non-magnetic nanocomposites 6. Nano uids and ows at nanoscale 1 Ordered Atomic-Scale Structures The quest of a reliable method for fabricating ordered atomic-scale structures is a prerequisite for future atomic-scale technology - the ultimate goal of nanosciences.

Using an in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) approach to investigate the growth mechanism of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as well as the fabrication and properties of CNT-clamped metal atomic chains (MACs) is the focus of the research summarized in this thesis. The application of an in situ TEM approach in the above-mentioned research provides not only real-time observation but also monitored machining and structural evolvement at the atomic level. In this thesis, the author introduces a CNT tubular nano furnace that can be operated under TEM for investigation of the CNT nucleation mechanism. By studying the nucleation process of CNTs in the presence of various catalysts, including iron-based metallic catalysts and silicon oxide-based non-metallic catalysts, the physical states of the catalysts as well as the nucleation and growth process of CNTs are revealed. Based on the understanding of the nucleation mechanism, the author proposes a hetero-epitaxial growth strategy of CNTs from boron nitride, which provides a new route for the controllable growth of CNTs. In addition, the author presents an electron beam-assisted nanomachining technique and the fabrication of a CNT-clamped MAC prototype device based on this technique. The formation process of CNT-clamped Fe atomic chains (ACs) can be monitored with atomic resolution. The demonstrated quantized conductance and uninfluenced half-metallic properties of Fe ACs indicate that CNTs can be promising nanoscale electrodes or interconnectors for the linking and assembly of nano and subnano structures.

This book focuses on both recent advances and the applications of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials in different fields. This book encapsulates all the aspects related to 2D nanomaterials and their applications. It provides scientific and technological insights on novel routes of design and fabrication of few layered nanostructures and their hetero structures based on a variety of 2-D layered materials. It also covers a wide range of industrial applications of 2D nanomaterials. It emphasizes on the detailing of the various characterization techniques used. The book will be a valuable reference for beginners, researchers, and professionals interested in nano-materials and allied fields.

Medicinal chemistry is both science and art. The science of medicinal chemistry offers mankind one of its best hopes for improving the quality of life. The art of medicinal chemistry continues to challenge its practitioners with the need for both intuition and experience to discover new drugs. Hence sharing the experience of drug research is uniquely beneficial to the field of medicinal chemistry. Drug research requires interdisciplinary team-work at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine. Therefore, the topic-related series Topics in Medicinal Chemistry covers all relevant aspects of drug research, e.g. pathobiochemistry of diseases, identification and validation of (emerging) drug targets, structural biology, drugability of targets, drug design approaches, chemogenomics, synthetic chemistry including combinatorial methods, bioorganic chemistry, natural compounds, high-throughput screening, pharmacological in vitro and in vivo investigations, drug-receptor interactions on the molecular level, structure-activity relationships, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology and pharmacogenomics. In general, special volumes are edited by well known guest editors.

This book covers the state-of-the-art research in nanoporous metals for potential applications in advanced energy fields, including proton exchange membrane fuel cells, Li batteries (Li ion, Li-S, and Li-O2), and supercapacitors. The related structural design and performance of nanoporous metals as well as possible mechanisms and challenges are fully addressed. The formation mechanisms of nanoporous metals during dealloying, the microstructures of nanoporous metals and characterization methods, as well as miscrostructural regulation of nanoporous metals through alloy design of precursors and surface diffusion control are also covered in detail. This is an ideal book for researchers, engineers, graduate students, and government/industry officers who are in charge of R&D investments and strategy related to energy technologies.

The realms of aerospace and structural mechanics have been revolutionized due to a plethora of technological advances. These two important sectors most notably have been impacted by the advancement of nanotechnology and have introduced potential groundbreaking changes for lightweight, high strength, and improved electronic properties of nanomaterials. Nanotechnology in Aerospace and Structural Mechanics aims to provide a collection of innovative research on the latest development of materials and methods for designing smart and intelligent devices for use in the field of space research and structural mechanics. It provides a thorough study of the fabrication and control of mechanical systems required for the successful application of nanotechnology in aerospace and structural engineering. While highlighting topics including nanomaterial properties, aerospace electronics, and polymer nanocomposites, this book is ideally designed for engineers, researchers, students, and academicians with interests in the fields of civil engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, and nanoscience.

This book presents highlighted results coming up from NanoCarbon2011, a Brazilian Carbon event. The topics cover the latest advances in Brazilian basic and applied research related to different carbon materials. The chapters address reviews on their fundamental and outstanding properties and describe various classes of new promising high-tech applications for carbon materials.

Unlike most natural colours that are based on pigment absorption, the striking iridescent and intense colouration of many butterflies, birds or beetles stems from the interaction of light with periodic sub-micrometer surface or volume patterns, so called "photonic structures". These "structural colours" are increasingly well understood, but they are difficult to create artificially and exploit technologically. In this thesis the field of natural structural colours and biomimetic photonic structures is covered in a wide scope, ranging from plant photonics to theoretical optics. It demonstrates diffractive elements on the petal surfaces of many flowering plant species; these form the basis for the study of the role of structural colours in pollinator attraction. Self-assembly techniques, combined with scale able nanofabrication methods, were used to create complex artificial photonic structures inspired by those found in nature. In particular, the colour effect of a Papilio butterfly was mimicked and, by variation of its design motive, enhanced. All photonic effects described here are underpinned by state-of-the-art model calculations.

This thesis focuses on the controlled synthesis of Pt-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles and the study of their catalytic properties. It discusses in detail the nucleation mechanism and the growth process of bimetallic systems, which is vital for a deeper understanding of the design of bimetallic catalysts. The author presents four pioneering studies: (1) syntheses of water-soluble octahedral, truncated octahedral, and cubic Pt-Ni nanocrystals and the study of their structure-activity relationship in model hydrogenation reactions; (2) a strategy for designing a concave Pt-Ni alloy using controllable chemical etching; (3) defect-dominated shape recovery of nanocrystals, which is a new synthesis strategy for trimetallic catalysts; (4) a sophisticated construction of Au islands on Pt Ni, which is an ideal trimetallic nanoframe catalyst. This thesis inspires researchers working in materials, catalysis as well as other interdisciplinary areas.

The book explores the effect of nanoscale matrix additives along the four levels of material formation, particle-resin interaction, the influence of nanoparticles on the processability of the polymer, the influence of nanoparticles on polymer curing and the influence of nanoparticles on the fiber plastic composite. Fiber-reinforced plastics have a significantly higher lightweight construction potential in components with a primary single- or biaxial stress state compared to isotropic metals. At the same time, their insensitivity to corrosion and their advantageous fatigue properties can help to reduce maintenance costs. Due to their outstanding specific mechanical properties, they are among today's high-performance lightweight construction materials. These properties make them particularly attractive in the field of mobility. However, as soon as the matrix properties dominate the mechanical properties, e.g. in the case of fibre-parallel compressive strength, significant weaknesses become apparent in the mechanical properties. Here, one approach is to significantly increase the matrix properties through nanoscale ceramic additives and at the same time to guarantee the processability of the resin.

Most textbooks explain quantum mechanics as a story where each step follows naturally from the one preceding it. However, the development of quantum mechanics was exactly the opposite. It was a zigzag route, full of personal disputes where scientists were forced to abandon well-established classical concepts and to explore new and imaginative pathways. Some of the explored routes were successful in providing new mathematical formalisms capable of predicting experiments at the atomic scale. However, even such successful routes were painful enough, so that relevant scientists like Albert Einstein and Erwin Schroedinger decided not to support them. In this book, the authors demonstrate the huge practical utility of another of these routes in explaining quantum phenomena in many different research fields. Bohmian mechanics, the formulation of the quantum theory pioneered by Louis de Broglie and David Bohm, offers an alternative mathematical formulation of quantum phenomena in terms of quantum trajectories. Novel computational tools to explore physical scenarios that are currently computationally inaccessible, such as many-particle solutions of the Schroedinger equation, can be developed from it.

The very first major reference text on this topic, this book provides a unique collection of articles reviewing the state of the art in the field. It gives particular emphasis to emerging technologies, from bioengineering and bio-tissues to nanotechnology. The integration of the different topics is presented via a combination of theoretical and applied methodology to provide a self-contained major reference that is appealing to both the scientist and the engineer.

This book brings together the recent cutting-edge work on computational methods in photonics and their applications. The latest advances in techniques such as the Discontinuous Galerkin Time Domain method, Finite Element Time Domain method, Finite Difference Time Domain method as well as their applications are presented. Key aspects such as modelling of non-linear effects (Second Harmonic Generation, lasing in fibers, including gain nonlinearity in metamaterials), the acousto-optic effect, and the hydrodynamic model to explain electron response in nanoplasmonic structures are included. The application areas covered include plasmonics, metamaterials, photonic crystals, dielectric waveguides, fiber lasers. The chapters give a representative survey of the corresponding area.

This book deals with topics such as single molecular electronics and photonics, NICE devices, smart soft materials, interfacial dynamic technology, and fabrication and characterization technology.

This second volume of the series Lecture Notes in Applied and Computational Mechanics is the second part of the compendium of reviewed articles presented at the 11th EUROMECH-MECAMAT conference entitled "Mechanics of microstructured solids: cellular materials, fibre reinforced solids and soft tissues," which took place in Torino (Italy) in March 10-14, 2008, at the Museo Regional delle Scienze. This EUROMECH-MECAMAT conference was jointly organized by the Dipartimento di Matematica dell'Universita di Torino, Italy and the INPL Institute (LEMTA, Nancy-Universite, France). Prof. Franco Pastrone and Prof. Jean-Francois Ganghoffer were the co-chairmen.

Yanfei Shen and Takashi Nakanishi Exotic Self-Organized Fullerene Materials Based on Uncommon Hydrophobic Amphiphilic Approach Yuming Zhao and Guang Chen C60 Fullerene Amphiphiles as Supramolecular Building Blocks for Organized and Well-Defined Nano scale Objects Anna Troeger, Vito Sgobba and Dirk M. Guldi Multilayer Assembly for Solar Energy Conversion Delphine Felder-Flesch Self- or Induced Organization of 60]Fullerene Hexakisadducts Andres de la Escosura, Olga Trukhina, and Tomas Torres Dual Role of Phthalocyanines in Carbon Nano structure-Based Organic Photovoltaics Riccardo Marega, Davide Giust and Davide Bonifazi Supramolecular Chemistry of Carbon Nano tubes at Interfaces: Toward Applications Stephanie Frankenberger, Johanna A. Januszewski and Rik R. Tykwinski Oligomers from sp-Hybridized Carbon: Cumulenes and Polyynes."

Fourth volume of a 40volume series on nano science and nanotechnology, edited by the renowned scientist Challa S.S.R. Kumar. This handbook gives a comprehensive overview about Surface Science Tools for Nanomaterials Characterization. Modern applications and state-of-the-art techniques are covered and make this volume an essential reading for research scientists in academia and industry.

Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Organic Solvents discusses recent advances in the chemistry involved for the controlled synthesis and assembly of metal oxide nanoparticles, the characterizations required by such nanoobjects, and their size and shape depending properties.

In the last few years, a valuable alternative to the well-known aqueous sol-gel processes was developed in the form of nonaqueous solution routes. Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Organic Solvents reviews and compares surfactant- and solvent-controlled routes, as well as providing an overview of techniques for the characterization of metal oxide nanoparticles, crystallization pathways, the physical properties of metal oxide nanoparticles, their applications in diverse fields of technology, and their assembly into larger nano- and mesostructures.

Researchers and postgraduates in the fields of nanomaterials and sol-gel chemistry will appreciate this book s informative approach to chemical formation mechanisms in relation to metal oxides.

This book provides an up-to-date review of nanometer-scale magnetism and focuses on the investigation of the basic properties of magnetic nanostructures. It describes a wide range of physical aspects together with theoretical and experimental methods. A broad overview of the latest developments in this emerging and fascinating field of nanostructured materials is given with emphasis on the practical understanding and operation of submicron devices based on nanostructured magnetic materials.

This book traces the quest to use nanostructured media for novel and improved optoelectronic devices. Starting with the invention of the heterostructure laser, the progression via thin films to quasi zero-dimensional quantum dots has led to novel device concepts and tremendous improvements in device performance. Along the way sophisticated methods of material preparation and characterization have been developed. Novel physical phenomena have emerged and are now used in devices such as lasers and optical amplifiers. Leading experts - among them Nobel laureate Zhores Alferov - write here about the fundamental concepts behind nano-optoelectronics, the material basis, physical phenomena, device physics and systems.

A dense sheet of electrons accelerated to close to the speed of light can act as a tuneable mirror that can generate bright bursts of laser-like radiation in the short wavelength range simply via the reflection of a counter-propagating laser pulse. This thesis investigates the generation of such a relativistic electron mirror structure in a series of experiments accompanied by computer simulations. It is shown that such relativistic mirror can indeed be created from the interaction of a high-intensity laser pulse with a nanometer-scale, ultrathin foil. The reported work gives a intriguing insight into the complex dynamics of high-intensity laser-nanofoil interactions and constitutes a major step towards the development of a relativistic mirror, which could potentially generate bright burst of X-rays on a micro-scale.

Size effect in structures has been taken into consideration over the last years. In comparison with coatings with micrometer-ranged thickness, nanostructured coatings usually enjoy better and appropriate properties, such as strength and resistance. These coatings enjoy unique magnetic properties and are used with the aim of producing surfaces resistant against erosion, lubricant system, cutting tools, manufacturing hardened sporadic alloys, being resistant against oxidation and corrosion.

This book reviews researches on fabrication and classification of nanostructured coatings with focus on size effect in nanometric scale. Size effect on electrochemical, mechanical and physical properties of nanocoatings are presented.