Upon embarking on an independent research career one faces the challenge of choosing a topic within his/her field to study in depth so as to make new and significant contributions to science, engineering or medicine. The authors’ earlier involvement with the characterization of colloidal 3D networks of metal oxide (titania) nanoparticles and their thin films had suggested that these exhibit catalytic properties far superior to those of their micro-sized equivalents. Heating the nanostructures at temperatures that were considered “safe” for larger particles, the nano-entities would undergo a phase transformation and coarsen abnormally (due to oriented attachment) losing their nanostructure advantage. Studying the gas sensing properties of ceramic nanomaterials, was the beginning of a learning path to the wonders of nanotechnology.