Nanoscience is a branch of science that deals with the study of materials having at least one of its dimensions in the nanometer length scale. One of the main criteria for a material to be considered as a nanomaterial is to exhibit distinct physical, chemical or biological properties that are absent in the individual atom or bulk. For this reason, a nanomaterial is often considered as a bridge between individual atoms and bulk materials. One of the main characteristics of nanomaterials is their size and shape dependent properties. Because of this, a nanomaterial often finds application in all areas of science, engineering and medicine.

Over the years, significant progress has been achieved on the size and shape controlled synthesis of nanoscale materials, and their inherent properties have been well understood.