Nanostructured films and coatings possess unique properties due to both size and interface effects. They find many applications in areas such as electronics, catalysis, protection, data storage, optics and sensors. The focus of the present book is on synthesis and processing; advanced characterization techniques; properties (including mechanical, chemical, electronic, thermal, catalytic, and magnetic); modelling of interlayer and intralayer interfaces; and applications.

Nanocrystalline materials exhibit exceptional mechanical properties, representing an exciting new class of structural materials for technological applications. The advancement of this important field depends on the development of new fabrication methods, and an appreciation of the underlying nano-scale and interface effects. This authored book addresses these essential issues, presenting for the first time a fundamental, coherent and current account at the theoretical and practical level of nanocrystalline and nanocomposite bulk materials and coatings. The subject is approached systematically, covering processing methods, key structural and mechanical properties, and a wealth of applications. This is a valuable resource for graduate students studying nanomaterials science and nanotechnologies, as well as researchers and practitioners in materials science and engineering.

The Advanced Study Institute on Synthesis, Functional Properties and Applications of Nanostructures, held at the Knossos Royal Village, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, July 26, 2002 - August 4, 2002, successfully reviewed the state-of-the-art of nanostructures and nanotechnology. It was concluded that Nanotechnology is widely agreed to be the research focus that will lead to the next generation of breakthroughs in science and engineering. There are three cornerstones to the expectation that Nanotechnology will yield revolutionary advances in understanding and application: * Breakthroughs in properties that arise from materials fabricated from the nanoscale. * Synergistic behavior that arise from the combination of disparate types of materials (soft vs. hard, organic vs. inorganic, chemical vs. biological vs. solid state) at the nanoscale. * Exploitation of natural (e.g. chemical and biological) assembly mechanisms that can accomplish structural control at the nanoscale. It is expected that this will lead to paradigms for assembling bio-inspired functional systems that accomplish desirable properties that are either unavailable or prohibitively expensive using top-down approaches.

Nanostructured films and coatings possess unique properties due to both size and interface effects. They find many applications in areas such as electronics, catalysis, protection, data storage, optics and sensors. The focus of the present book is on synthesis and processing; advanced characterization techniques; properties (including mechanical, chemical, electronic, thermal, catalytic, and magnetic); modelling of interlayer and intralayer interfaces; and applications.