Chemical Nanotechnology: A Liberal Arts Approach to a Basic Course in Emerging Interdisciplinary Science and Technology

摘要

Browse the newspaper, the Internet, or look to recent works of science fiction. Escaping the laboratory and disseminating into popular culture, nanotechnology appears to be everywhere. The study and manipulation of matter on the nanometer scale has been termed nanoscience or nanotechnology, an exploding field still in its infancy. In response, a new course was developed to serve undergraduate students, regardless of major, that have completed one semester of introductory chemistry. Nanotechnology provides an exceptional chance to spotlight the amazing opportunities that arise when various fields of science converge. As educators, we can utilize this as an opportunity for applying the fundamentals students learn in subdisciplinary courses to applications and problems with a broader scope. This course focuses on the basic science behind the major research initiatives of the field, while both revisiting the origins of the field and spotlighting current advances. Students are also challenged to consider the political, economical, environmental, and ethical concerns relating to nanotechnology and its potential impact on modern society. In addition to lecture and discussion, students participate in writing, molecular modeling, and laboratory exercises. Utilization of a central text is supplemented by examples from the primary chemical literature and selected works of science fiction.