This is a nanorod made of cadmium that is just 13 nanometers long (for scale, your fingernails grow about 1 nanometer per second). It was taken with a scanning transmission electron microscope and has been colored to show the different elements apart. The core, made out of cadmium selenide, is shown in red. Scientists are studying them to learn how to build new materials for solar energy. Cadmium is a chemical element with symbol Cd and atomic number 48. Cadmium selenide is an inorganic compound with the formula CdSe. In nanotechnology, nanorods are one morphology of nanoscale objects. Each of their dimensions range from 1-100 nm. They may be synthesized from metals or semiconducting materials. Nanorods are produced by direct chemical synthesis. Nanotechnology (nanotech) is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale.