This concise edition of Hari Singh Nalwa's Handbook of Nanostructured Materials and Nanotechnology fills the needs of scientists and students working in chemistry, physics, materials science, electrical engineering, polymer science, surface science, spectroscopy, and biotechnology. This version of the handbook contains 16 chapters particularly focused on synthesis and fabrication as well as the electrical and optical properties of nanoscale materials. The 5-volume reference Handbook of Nanostructured Materials and Nanotechnology, published in October 1999, created widespread interest in researchers in the field of nanotechnology and many of our colleagues expressed interest in a shorter version of our major reference work. The handbook will serve the objectives of providing state-of-the-art information on many aspects of nanostructured materials and emerging nanotechnology. About the Author Dr. H. S. Nalwa is the Managing Director of the Stanford Scientific Corporation, Los Angeles, California. He was Head of Department and R&D Manager at the Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corporation in Los Angeles (1999-2000) and a staff scientist at the Hitachi Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd., Japan (1990-1999). He has authored more than 150 scientific articles and 18 patents on electronic and photonic materials and devices. Dr. Nalwa serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Macromolecular Science-Physics, Applied Organometallic Chemistry (1993-1999), International Journal of Photoenergy,andPhotonics Science News. He was the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines published by John Wiley & Sons (1997-2000). Dr. Nalwa is a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), American Physical Society (APS), Materials Research Society (MRS), Electrochemical Society (ECS), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Nalwa has been cited in the Dictionary of International Biography, Who's Who in Science and Engineering, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in the World. Table of Contents Chemical Synthesis of Nanostructured Metals, Metals Alloys and SemiconductorsNanocomposites Prepared by Sol-Gel Methods: Synthesis and CharacterizationLow Temperature Compaction of Nanosize PowdersSemiconductor NanoparticlesColloidal Quantum Dots of III-V SemiconductorsStrained-layer Heteroepitaxy to Fabricate Self-assembled Semiconductor IslandsHybrid Magnetic-Semiconductor NanostructuresCarbon NanotubesEncapsulation and Crystallization Behavior of Materials Inside Carbon NanotubesSilicon-based NanostructuresElectronic Transport Properties of Quantum DotsPhotorefractive Semiconductor NanostructuresLinear and Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy of Semiconductor NanocrystalsMolecular and Supramolecular NanomachinesFunctional Nanostructures Incorporating Responsive Modules