nanoparticelle

Nanoparticelles, the French term for nanoparticles, are particles with dimensions in the nanoscale, typically between 1 and 100 nanometers. They can be natural or engineered, and their small size often leads to properties different from bulk materials, including a high surface-area-to-volume ratio and size-dependent optical, electronic, and catalytic behaviors.

Nanoparticelles can be classified by material type, such as metallic (for example gold, silver, platinum), metal oxides (such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide), polymeric, carbon-based (including graphene and fullerenes), and lipid or polymeric vesicles used in drug delivery. Their surfaces can be functionalized with ligands, polymers, or targeting molecules to influence stability, dispersibility, and interactions with biological systems or environments.

Synthesis and fabrication of nanoparticelles follow two broad approaches: top-down methods that break down larger materials into nanoscale particles, and bottom-up methods that assemble particles from atomic or molecular precursors. Common techniques include chemical reduction, sol-gel processes, laser ablation, and self-assembly. Characterization relies on tools such as electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential measurements, and spectroscopy to determine size, shape, surface chemistry, and stability.

Applications of nanoparticelles span medicine (drug delivery, diagnostic imaging, and therapeutics), electronics and sensing, catalysis and energy conversion, and environmental remediation. Safety and regulatory considerations address potential toxicity, environmental impact, and exposure, guiding risk assessment and, where applicable, labeling and containment requirements.