La nanociencia y la nanotecnología: una revolución en curso

Abstract

Nanoscience and nanotechnology constitute a new research area into which several fields of knowledge converge. This new discipline opens the possibility of studying phenomena on an atomic or molecular scale. The importance of nanotechnology lies in the fact that, at a nanometer scale, matter acquires or highlights properties that differ from those observed at a macroscopic level. Some practical applications of nanoscience research are happening today, and they are expected to multiply in the near future, which raise the need to assess their impact. Developed countries have established funding programs for research in this area and, recently, Latin American countries started to do the same. This work presents a general perspective on nanoscience and nanotechnology and its basic concepts, as well as a review of ongoing research in Mexico and Latin America.