摘要：Nanotechnology represents an exciting multi- and_ inter- disciplinary area of scientific and business development. It can also be defined as an “emerging” technology in the sense that it: (i) arises from new knowledge, or the innovative application of existing knowledge; (ii) leads to the rapid development of new capabilities; (iii) is projected to have significant systemic and long-lasting economic, social and political impacts; (iv) creates new opportunities and challenges to addressing global issues; (v) has the potential to disrupt or create entire industries. Thereby, nanotechnology promises “more for less”, offering opportunities in creating alternative/disruptive solutions (ie. new functions and features) to several long-standing environmental and human problems (i.e. diseases, eco-toxicity, non-sustainable energy). Nanotechnology is currently being applied to many areas of research and development ranging from medicine (e.g. cancer theranostics, regenerative medicine) to electronics (e.g. biosensors) [1-3].
