Some of the prominant Pioneers in the field of nanotechnology

Robert F. Curl
Kenneth S. Pitzer-Schlumberger Professor of Natural Sciences and Professor of Chemistry. 1996 Nobel Laureate, together with Sir Harold Kroto and Richard Smalley for the discovery of fullerenes.

Richard P. Feynman
1965 Nobel Laureate in Physics for fundamental work in quantum electrodynamics, with deep-ploughing consequences for the physics of elementary particles.

James Gimzewski
He pioneered research on electrical contacts with single atoms and molecules and light emission using scanning tunneling microscopy.

Sir Harold Kroto
Became a Royal Society Research Professor in 1991 and was knighted for his contributions to Chemistry in 1996. Later that year, together with Robert Curl and Richard Smalley, received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the discovery of C60 Buckminsterfullerene - a new form of carbon.

Richard Smalley
University Professor, Gene and Norman Hackerman Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics & Astronomy. 1996 Nobel Laureate, together with Sir Harold Kroto and Robert Curl for the discovery of fullerenes.

George Whitesides
Professor Whitesides and his group work in four areas: biochemistry, materials science, catalysis and physical organic chemistry.

Gerd Karl Binnig & Heinrich Rohrer
Inventors of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (1981)


http://www.nano.org.uk/nano/pioneers.htm
This is the url wich gave me these prominant name