Nano-objects characterization

For several years now, scientific and industrial circles have been showing a growing interest in nanotechnologies in fields as varied as medicine, chemistry and materials science. This interest is justified by the novel and sometimes surprising properties of nano-objects. Indeed, elementary properties that we consider to be constants, such as melting temperature or the kinetic constants of chemical reactions, are modified when the material is in nanometric form. It is quite obvious that these seemingly cryptic deviations from established theories are due to the particular characteristics of nano-objects. Determining these characteristics is therefore of vital importance for applications, as well as for the development of markets and technologies. The vast majority of techniques currently used to characterize nano-objects were not originally developed for this purpose. It is therefore important to understand the limitations and advantages of these techniques in the context of nanotechnology. As we shall see in this article, it is important to choose the methods that can be used according to the situation encountered and the information sought. This reasoning also applies to nanocomposites (materials including nano-objects), whose characterization highlights their enhanced properties. The enormous potential they represent can thus be exploited.