With enhanced properties such as greater strength, lighter weight, increased electrical conductivity and chemical reactivity, nanomaterials (NMs) are widely used in areas like ICT, energy and medicine. For example, nanotubes, nanorods and nanowires with different size, structure and chemical composition have been successfully synthesised for various applications in mechanical, electromechanical, electric and optoelectronic devices.
Defined as materials with at least one external dimension sized between 1 nm and 100 nm, or with internal structures measuring 100 nm or less, NMs play a crucial role in the next generation of mobile phones, computer chips, batteries, autonomous devices and robotics. Therefore, it's important to know which set of structural and electrical properties for such materials gives the best performance for a particular application. Scientists and engineers are increasingly focusing on developing NMs that are highly energy efficient. But, the tinier NMs become, the harder it gets for them to manage the heat generated during the processing of information.
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