nanoparticle

plural nanoparticles

1. Any microscopic particle less than about 100 nanometers (nm) in diameter.

   The high surface area of a nanoparticle relative to its weight and volume makes it behave differently from larger masses of the same material.

   2012 May 22, Jacy Meyer, “To Czech Industry, Everything Is Nano”, in The International Herald Tribune, →ISSN, archived from the original on 10 Dec 2020

   1 more example

   Nanoparticles of various sorts are already found in products like sunscreen, paint and inkjet paper. More exotic varieties offer promise in medicine for sensitive diagnostic tests and novel treatments: the detection of Alzheimer's disease by finding a protein in spinal fluid, for instance, or nanoparticles that heat up and kill cancer cells.

   2005 February 22, Kenneth Chang, “Tiny Is Beautiful: Translating 'Nano' Into Practical”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 03 Feb 2021