Properties of nanoparticles?

Explain why the properties of nanoparticles of a material may differ from the properties of the bulk material?

1 Answer
Feb 19, 2018

It's ALL about the exposed surface area and atomic interactions.

Explanation:

"Bulk" materials usually have huge volumes and areas that are never in contact with a desired compound for any given reaction or interaction. "Nanoparticles" provide a much greater contact surface area per unit volume and also interact almost on an individual atom level with other compounds.

The chemical properties of the material do not change, but the availability of the compound to other materials changes what types of chemical transformations (reactions) may be possible.