Energy and Nanotechnology

Nanotechnologies are concerned with objects in which at least one dimension is, by convention, between 1 and 100 nm. Examples include ultra-thin films with a thickness of less than 100 nm, or nanoparticles smaller than 100 nm. The term nanotechnology is really used when we are able to observe objects with a resolution of better than 100 nm, but also when we can intervene on this scale.

Nanotechnologies are finding more and more applications. They are only of economic interest for a device if they offer an advantage over what already exists. This leads us to distinguish three cases:

• the first corresponds to the situation where they bring a new functionality to the device;

• the second when they lead to the same functionalities for the device but at a lower cost;

• the third when they increase performance at the same or slightly higher cost.

In this article, we will illustrate the benefits of nanotechnology in the field of energy, using a few examples and topics. More information can be found at .