IOSPress

Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies have grown increasingly fast for the last 20 years - after a somehow slow start - with an exceptional impact upon understanding of Nature, development of Science and related applications. Several new materials have been built and the possibility of tailoring their properties for particular purposes has opened unexpected perspectives in a multidisciplinary scenario. Furthermore, economy has also been deeply involved in this effort as a consequence of the fact that a significant amount of money has been invested in new enterprises with the hope of duplicating the 'boom' of microelectronics: a wrong hope, according to our guess, since nanotechnologies probably will prove to be really crucial in niche production. Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies are developing at a very fast pace. It is then important to provide young and even expert scientists with the possibility of reviewing and updating some of the most significant features of nanostructures for a better understanding of their scientific foundations in order to put a firm basis for future developments. Nanostructures and Nanosensing Applications provide a very effective approach as they require a strict interaction between Science and Technology leading to a high degree of cross fertilization.