Nanomaterials are conveniently defined by their size, but their real impact stems from new functions their small scale enable. After a brief overview of new or enhanced properties appearing at the nanoscale, we will focus on the non-equilibrium properties of nanomaterials.

In the first part, we will review the thermodynamic of small systems, where the energy exchanged with the environment is a few times kBT and energy fluctuations are observable. The well-known fluctuation-dissipation relation relating equilibrium properties to transport coefficient can easily be generalized on the nanoscale, but constitute a challenge for metrology. These systems are, however, accessible to the experiment in nanoparticle suspension or single-molecule AFM experiments. The relevance of small system thermodynamics for biology, self-assembly and emerging materials will be presented.

In the second part of the talk, we will discuss how materials can be engineered on the nanoscale to optimize transport of energy in many forms. The metrological challenge to measure transport properties at this scale and the enabling technology will be discussed.

Alexandre Cuenat was born on a mountain top in the greenest state of the land of the watchmaker. After an Engineering degree in Physics (EPFL) he did a Master on effective theory for quantum chromodynamics (University of Lausanne) before returning to EPFL for a PhD in solid-state physics on cluster formation using ion implantation, combining experiment (TEM, RBS) and theory (MD). After a post-doc at Harvard, where he developed a UHV system to study in-situ and in real time the self-organization of nanoscale structures on semiconductor surfaces using UV-light scattering spectroscopy, he moved to CNRS in Marseille to do directed self-assembly of quantum dots using molecular beam epitaxy. He is at NPL since 2004.