Nanoclusters and Nanocrystals 

Nanoclusters and Nanocrystals at the nanometer scale offer unique electrical, optical, and magnetic properties that are related to their quantum size effect. A nanocluster could contain several tens to thousands of atoms or molecules, and the formation of well-ordered and uniform size metal or semiconductor nanoclusters has been visualized by scanning tunneling microscopy. These nanoclusters have potential applications in microelectronics, magnetic storage, optical data storage, spintronics devices, telecommunications, sensors, transducers, biological markers, switches, electroluminescent displays, chemical reactors, catalysts, etc. Nanocrystalline materials offer unique mechanical properties, as they are stronger, harder, and more wear-resistant materials compared with their counterpart bulk materials. They also have applications in hydrogen storage, data storage, electronics, automotive engineering, computers, catalysts, etc. This book covers topics on recent synthetic strategies to fabricate metallic or semiconducting nanoscale clusters and crystals, control of the size and shape of such clusters and crystals, growth mechanisms, spectroscopic characterization, physical properties, and some potential industrial applications.