Summary

This is the ?rst volume in a series of books on selected topics in nanoscale science and technology, based on lectures given at the well-known Italian Institute for Nuclear Physics (Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, or in short INFN) schools of the same name (Nanoscience & Nanotechnology 2006, Nanosceience & N- otechnology 2007). The aim of this collection is to provide a reference corpus of suitable, introductory material to relevant sub?elds, as they mature over time, by gathering the signi?cantly expanded and edited versions of tutorial lectures, given over the years by internationally known experts. The ?eld of nanoscience has witnessed a rapid growth in the last decade. - cently, the attention of the community of nanoscientists has been focusing more and more on technological applications. Nanotechnology is an enabling technology, with a high potential impact on virtually all ?elds of human activity (industrial, health-related, biomedical, environmental, economy, politics, etc.). Its potential yields high expectations for solutions to the main needs of society, although it issues of sustainability and compatibility need to be addressed. The ?elds of research - plication in nanoscience include aerospace, defence, national security, electronics, biology, and medicine.