Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
CHEM225
Spring 2005
In 1960, Richard Feynman asked the question, “What would happen if we could arrange atoms one by one the way we want them?” Today, the emerging fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology are enabling control of the material world at the scale of atoms and molecules. Nanotechnology is inherently interdisciplinary and allows for new approaches to education through interdisciplinary connections between chemistry, physics, biology and materials science. This broad interdisciplinarity contributes much to the novelty of this new field, and will likely cause widespread change in the way science is pursued in the 21st century. These aspects of nanoscale science have the potential to generate strong interest among students. Silicon chips, gigabyte disk drives, and light emitting diodes - devices that are based on atomically engineered materials - are all around us. These everyday wonders that we depend on would not be possible without the ability to "see" and manipulate materials at the most basic level, the individual atom.This course will introduce students to many aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Spring 2005 Text: Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to the Next Big Idea Grading: Your grade will be based upon your performance on: Project: 150 points Seminar Reaction paper (1 x 20 points) 20 points The LU Honor Code applies to all your work and should be reaffirmed on each
assignment, paper, and exam you turn in. Reaction Paper: Attend at least one science related seminar
or presentation during the term. Midterm exam: a take-home exam over midterm reading period
(Feb 10 – 13). Final exam : a take-home exam over the second half of the
course material distributed sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday (tbd) and due Friday
March 18th at 11:30am. Comment on Collaboration:
Syllabus
Mark Ratner and Daniel Ratner (2003) Prentice Hall (ISBN 0131014005).
Class Participation (10 points per week) 100 points
Literature Assignments (5 @ 30 pts each) 150 points
Laboratory: Reports (3 x 30 each) 90 points
Topic description (1 page, week 2) 10 points
Annotated Bibliography (week 4) 20 points
Outline and updated bibliography (week 6) 20 points
5-7 page Report (draft week 8, due week 10) 50 points
Project Presentation (week 10) 50 points
Midterm exam 100 points
Final exam (over second half of the course material) 100 points
Total Points for the course: 710 points
Write a 1-2 page paper discussing some specific aspect of the talk that intrigued
or puzzled you. Explain why you found this aspect intriguing or puzzling. Include
the title of the talk and the presenter’s name. Your paper will be uploaded
onto Moodle (more moodle info to come).
We strongly encourage you to create a fun and productive collaborative learning
environment in this class. Working with others to prepare for class discussions,
exams and laboratories will vastly enrich your learning experience. Similarly
we encourage you to let friends read and discuss preliminary drafts of your
science talk reaction paper, literature assignments and project report. If you
do so, make sure to acknowledge their help alongside the affirmation of the
honor code at the beginning or end of the assignment.
Absences:
Because class discussion is part of your grade for the course, you are expected
to be at each class meeting. Class meetings and experiments missed because of
unexcused absences receive a grade of zero and cannot be retaken Class meetings
and experiments missed because of excused absences also receive a grade of zero
but can receive normal credit if the student reschedules and carries out a makeup
exam or laboratory within one week of returning to campus or by making arrangements
with the appropriate faculty members.