Fun with Nanotechnology
It's a whole new world at the nano scale.Copyright The National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health; Nanotechnology Consortiums http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/dert/cospb/programs/nanotech/index.cfm
Through three teacher-led demonstrations, students are shown samplers of real-world nanotechnology applications involving ferrofluids, quantum dots and gold nanoparticles. This nanomaterials engineering lesson introduces practical applications for nanotechnology and some scientific principles related to such applications. It provides students with a first-hand understanding of how nanotechnology and nanomaterials really work. Through the interactive demos, their interest is piqued about the odd and intriguing nano-materials behaviors they witness, which engages them to next conduct the three fun associated nanoscale technologies activities. The demos use materials readily available if supplies are handy for the three associated activities.
Work in the emerging field of nanotechnology depends upon many classical materials engineering principles and fundamentals that stem from chemistry and physics. While engineers have been using ferrofluids for many decades, recent research has enabled new medical applications for them to become reality. Quantum dots are slated to drastically improve cancer cell targeting and other focused medical treatments because of their optical properties. Unique nano materials properties are also being applied to renewable energy solutions. Scientists and engineers have developed very efficient, size-dependent, optical beacons, and are designing biocompatible compounds. Gold nanoparticles are also suitable for numerous biosensing applications. Engineers are challenged to develop inexpensive fabrication processes for creating industrial amounts of such materials efficiently.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain how nanoscience works as it pertains to real-world applications.
- Describe how ferrofluids work, including a conceptual knowledge of magnetic requirements.
- Describe how quantum dots work, including a conceptual knowledge of optical property effects due to quantum confinement.
- Explain how gold nanoparticles interact with light and the effect of particle clustering on optical properties. Additionally, describe the surface charge and its effect on particle clustering.
- Identify key applications and potential applications for specific nanotechnologies.