China's NanoCentre Turns Ten

This year (2013), the National Centre for NanoScience & Technology (NCNST) of China is turning ten years old. In the past ten years, the research activities in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology have flourished in China. The thematic progresses in the basic research of nanoscience have been evident in the continued endeavors in pursuing excellence in academic research. NCNST has contributed significantly to the progress of this exciting field both in China and internationally. Nanoscale has devoted this special issue to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of NCNST.

The establishment of NCNST was initially envisioned by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking and Tsinghua Universities. Today, the NCNST serves as one of China's major hubs in the network of nanoscience. It has nearly 40 full professors, 200 research staff, and more than 400 graduate students, associated with six academic divisions: the Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Laboratory for Nanostandardization and Nanocharacterization, Laboratory for Nanodevices, Laboratory for Nanomaterials, and Laboratory for Nanomanufacture and Applications. Additionally, the NCNST organizes a network of coordination laboratories that complement the in-house expertise with state-of-the-art facilities for characterization and fabrication at the nanoscale.

This special issue contains 3 communications, 5 papers, 1 feature article and 4 reviews. The topics include the major areas of nanoscience, such as characterization of single molecules and live cells using nanoscale tools (such as scanning probe microscopy), controllable synthesis for surface chemistry, fabrication of micro/nanochannels, nanoscale pharmaceutics and drug delivery systems, the biological effects of nanostructures, and the fabrication/application of graphene-based structures and devices. The potential applications of these reports could be reflected in the efforts on developing supercapacitors, batteries, antibiotics, catalytic chemical reactions and so forth, all with dramatically enhanced or improved performances.

We are most grateful to the strong support from the colleagues around the world in promoting productive collaborations in the field of nanoscience. It is sincerely hoped that this special issue could facilitate continued exchanges to advance our fundamental understanding at the nanometer scale and deliver keenly needed technologies for meeting various societal needs in the decades to come.

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