nanostructure

noun

nano·​struc·​ture ˈna-nə-ˌstrək-chər 

: a nanoscale structure

especially : an arrangement, structure, or part of something of molecular dimensions

nanostructured

ˈna-nə-ˌstrək-chərd 

adjective

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Two important types of nanostructure are nanocrystals (tiny crystals, often of semiconducting material) and nanotubes (tiny tubes, usually of pure carbon). Nanocrystals made from semiconductors change color depending on their size, and are being used for such tasks as detecting viruses in living cells. Nanotubes can conduct enormous amounts of electrical current, far more than metal wires. They are the basic material of tiny "paper" batteries, which can be rolled, folded, or cut while still producing power. Nanotubes are also now being used in materials for lightweight tennis rackets and golf clubs, and may soon enable the manufacture of TV screens no thicker than a film.

Examples of nanostructure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Green feathers, meanwhile, result from yellow feathers topped with the blue-producing nanostructures. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2024

Heterostructures describe the interfaces between two semiconductors that serve as the building blocks between more elaborate nanostructures. —IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2024

Prior to designing the spiky silicon, researchers studied the structural composition of cicada and dragonfly wings, which have evolved to feature similarly sharp nanostructures capable of skewering fungal spores and bacterial cells. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2024

The films, inspired by how morpho butterflies create their vivid blue color with reflective scales, circumvent this with nanostructures that reflect light to produce color without heating up. —Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above