Nanostructured silicon-based powders and composites

Nanomaterials are materials with a characteristic length scale (particle diameter, grain size) or less than 100 nanometers. The use of nanoparticles aims to take advantage of their better or even different properties as compared to bulk behaviour (confinement effect, larger surface area to volume ratio). At first nanomaterials were used as catalysts and pigments, but now their mechanical, optical, electric and biological properties of silicon based nanostructures at all stages of the process, from the synthesis of nanopowders to the final material.