Commencing with several examples of integrated chemical systems and analogies between man-made systems and biological ones, this study presents an elementary general treatment of the techniques available for the construction and characterization of such systems.

Construction of Integrated Chemical Systems.

Characterization of Integrated Chemical Systems.

Chemically Modified Electrodes.

Electrochemical Characterization of Modified Electrodes.

Photoelectrochemistry and Semiconductor Materials.

Future Integrated Chemical Systems.

Index.

The first book to present a systematic approach to nanosystems Fully supplemented with actual examples and scores of figures and photo illustrations, Integrated Chemical Systems takes the discussion of nanotechnology and nanosystems out of the realm of speculation and into the real world. This book presents a detailed discussion of various approaches to the fabrication and characterization of nanosystems and offers a firm theoretical basis for the operation of electrochemical and photoelectrochemical systems, making analogies between synthetic and naturally occurring nanosystems. The author uses examples taken from his own groundbreaking research and that of others to create a clear picture of the progress that has been made in this exciting new area of research. Having established the state of the art, he goes on to offer realistic projections of future systems and their applications. Topics discussed include:

• Currently available methods for the construction and characterization of nanosystems, including spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance systems
• Modified electrodes and electrochemical methods for characterizing them
• Fabrication of semiconductor-based systems for photoelectrochemistry
• Suggestions and ideas for future research and projections of future systems and their applications

Over the past decade, nanotechnology and nanosystems have become subjects of increasing interest, speculation, research, and excitement among chemists, physicists, and engineers concerned with creating a new generation of electronic and biotechnological devices. But most discussion of the process of creating these devices has centered around theoretical systems, and has come from the point of view of potential device-builders such as the electronics industry. Integrated Chemical Systems is the first book to take a truly systematic approach to the study of nanotechnology, to suggest fruitful avenues of research, and to project in a realistic way the characteristics and applications of future nanosystems. It also provides a firm theoretical basis for the operation of electrochemical and photoelectrochemical nanosystems. These electrochemical methods of surface characterization are extremely promising but have not received the attention already afforded spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. Allen J. Bard, noted scientist and leading researcher in the field, begins by discussing and providing numerous examples of actual integrated chemical systems—many of which are taken directly from Professor Bard’s own research—and making analogies between man-made systems and those found in nature. Next, Bard moves on to an elementary general treatment of the methods available for the construction and characterization of such systems, followed by a detailed discussion of modified electrodes and electrochemical methods for characterizing them. A full chapter is devoted to semiconductor materials—which may be key components in many systems—and their use in photoelectrochemical systems. The final chapter is devoted to the future of nanotechnology and promising areas for researchers to stake their claims. For university researchers and students in chemistry, physics, electrical engineering, and materials science, this book provides an elegant introduction to a new field of chemistry and a new batch of concepts that hold enormous potential for future research. Industrial and government researchers concerned with sensors, electronic devices, and electrochemistry will find a host of new principles for device fabrication as well as new ideas for the devices themselves.