Nanotechnology involves manipulating matter at a scale of 1 to 100 nanometers, which leads to unique properties and novel applications across various industries such as medicine, electronics, and environmental science. This field aims to understand and create new materials, devices, and systems by leveraging the distinct behaviors of materials at the nanoscale. The market potential for products enabled by nanotechnology is predicted to reach $263 billion by 2012, with significant investments and growth in research and development.