| Posted: February 7, 2007 |
Special edition: Nanotechnology in China |
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(Nanowerk News) The January/February issue of the International Journal of Nanotechnology (IJNT) is a special issue on Nanotechnology in China.
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The articles collected in this issue represent some snapshots of aspects of the large and increasingly successful efforts that the scientists and funding agencies have recently put into nanotechnology research.
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From the end of 1990s, the major funding agencies in China, like Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST), National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) started to enhance the support for the research of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Since then, both basic and applied researches in nanoscience and nanotechnology became the priority programs in the institutes of Chinese Academic Science (CAS) and most of research oriented universities.
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The number of publications and patents contributed by the scientists from China in this field has grown very fast in the last ten years. Since the progress of nanotechnology is expected to provide the solutions for the problems in energy and environment which are the great challenges for China, the most populated country in the world, in the next decades.
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Very recently, the Chinese government released its National Long Term Development Layout 2006–2020, Nanoscience and nanotechnology is one of the four national initiative basic research programs. Looking forward, the R&D of nanotechnology will be still one of the most active fields in China.
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The nanotechnology research in China covers most aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Four areas have generally been addressed. First, synthesis and growth of nanoscale structures composed of semiconductors, metals and polymers, and to make electronic devices and sensors from molecules and nanoparticles.
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Second, characterisation of nanostructures and imaging electrons inside nanostructures by various analysis methods, especially scanning probe microscopes (SPMs).
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Third, manipulation and control of the quantum state such as spins, charges and orbit of the molecule and nanostructures.
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Last, the application of nanomaterials and nanotechnology in biology and life science, such as drug carriers and therapy. The researchers have so far gained many attracting accomplishments mainly on the assembly, characterisation and manipulation of nanostructure via ‘bottom up’ stratagem, while the design and the fabrication of nanodevices is not adequate due to the incomplete ‘top down’ techniques based on the weak micro-fabrication process.
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