Question

Explain surface to volume ratio and quantum confinement in nanomaterials.

Answer 1

The term "quantum dot." It pops up everywhere - "quantum dots" for drug delivery, "quantum dots" for multicolored display, "quantum dot lasers" - the list seems endless. So, what is a quantum dot? Roughly speaking, it is a tiny structure made of a solid material. It is so tiny (typically consisting of 1,000 -10,000 atoms) that an electron inside it is severely restricted in its movement. Now, when an electron's motion is so severely constrained, its kinetic energy can assume only certain allowed values that are determined by the size and shape of the dot, as well as the material making up the dot.