BOOK AND MEDIA REVIEW pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Review of Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education David S. Gottfried* Nanotechnology Research Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0269, United States find material appropriate for the many disciplines, courses, and technical levels at which nanotechnology is introduced. Some of the curricular material is pedagogical in nature (Chapter 2, “The Impact of Nanoscience Context on Multiple Choice Chemistry Items”, Knaus et al.), while other chapters provide concrete suggestions for implementing nanoscale ideas within traditional courses (general, organic, and physical chemistry) or creating a combined lecture and lab course centered around a nanotechnology theme (Chapter 3, “An Evolutionary Approach to Nanoscience in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum at James Madison University”, Augustine et al.; and Chapter 4, “Vertical Integration of Nanotechnology Education”, Shanov et al.). The University of Cincinnati approach (Chapter 4) recognizes that “[N]anotechnology encompasses, yet is different, for all curricula, and thus cannot be easily compartmentalized and taught like a traditional subject.” Chapter 5, “Big Emphasis on a Small Topic: Introducing Nanoscience to Undergraduate Science Majors”, contributed by the book's editors, summarizes some of the general themes that are common to all of the approaches by the various chapter authors. In particular, it is important to retain traditional introductory courses while making any new courses optional. The most efficacious method is to develop individual nanoscale-based modules that emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of the material and that can be used within existing courses. Finally, students should be involved in the development, teaching, and refinement of the new curriculum as much as possible. A nanotechnology-based laboratory course curriculum for undergraduates can be challenging because many of the typical analytical tools (electron microscopy, surface probe microscopy) are expensive and require substantial training to operate. On the other hand, synthesis of nanomaterials can often be achieved using standard lab apparatus and procedures. Most of the suggested lab modules in this compendium consist of some combination of synthesis and analysis. The fabrication of quantum dots, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), ferrofluids, metallic nanoparticles, nanowires, and electrospun nanofibers are all described within the text. In particular, “Nanotechnology for Freshmen” (Chapter 10, Winkelmann) provides very comprehensive descriptions, including theory, experimental procedure, and applications of several different nanoparticles and also contains a very complete list of references. In addition to colorimetric and fluorescence observations of nanomaterials, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is a popular technique for characterization (Chapters 9 and 11), partly owing to the availability of relatively inexpensive SPM instruments for the educational market. If you, like me, struggle with ways to convey the concept of imaging using SPM methods to students who are
Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education edited by Kimberly A. O. Pacheco, Richard W. Schwenz, Wayne E. Jones, Jr. American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2009. 206 pp. ISBN: 978-0-84126968-2. $150.00 (hardcover).
A few years ago, the American Heritage Dictionaries published a book of the 100 words that every high school graduate—and their parents—should know.1 Among the 25 or so words in this collection that are related to science or technology is the word “nanotechnology”. I am not sure which is the chicken and which is the egg, but I also know that, among the dozens of school groups I have spoken to about nanotechnology (a term I will use to refer to the more precise nanoscience or nanoengineering) over the years, nearly every student has a rudimentary idea of what this means. Perhaps this is a direct result of the emphasis placed on K 12 education and public outreach over the past decade by the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). However, one of the neglected areas of nanotechnology education has been in the introduction of nanoscale concepts to college and university students in any formal way. While there are a few examples of schools with recently created nanotechnology degree programs, and a few more with nanotechnology specializations or certificates as adjuncts to conventional degrees, most institutions of higher learning are integrating nanotechnology into the general science curriculum on an individual disciplinary basis. Because nanotechnology is perceived as interdisciplinary (which it is), there is a tendency to take a “not in my backyard” approach and let individual instructors or other departments do the work of developing the material. This has created an environment in which Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education (Kimberly A. O. Pacheco, Richard W. Schwenz, and Wayne E. Jones, Jr.) is a welcome addition to the educator’s bookshelf as it presents a number of approaches and ideas for incorporating nanotechnology into lecture and laboratory courses.2 The chapters of this text originate from a nanotechnology symposium held at the ACS national meeting in 2007 and were published in book form in 2009, and this means that the context for most of the approaches is that of chemistry. As the editors state succinctly in the overview, this text provides the “foundation for the interweaving of current methods and newly developed technological ideas in the undergraduate curriculum” (p 2). The book, like much of undergraduate education, is divided into two parts: Course/Curriculum Innovations and Nanoscale Laboratory Experiences, although many of the experimental suggestions are integrated with lecture courses as presented. The selection of topics presented in the book is varied, and any undergraduate lecturer or laboratory instructor should be able to
Published: March 11, 2011 Copyright r 2011 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
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BOOK AND MEDIA REVIEW
more comfortable with optical imaging, “Exploring the Scanning Probe” (Chapter 12, Layson et al.) provides a simple model system that can be built and used to simulate atomic force microscopy. This chapter, along with Chapter 7 (“Development of Hands-on Nanotechnology Content Materials: Undergraduate Chemistry and Beyond”, Larsen et al.) and Chapter 13 (“Benchtop Nanoscale Patterning Experiments”, Babayan et al.) describe laboratory methods that could also be adapted for use within advanced high school courses. One of the admirable aspects of Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education is that the chapter selection was done carefully, with nary a redundant component in the lot. While certainly the totality of nanotechnology is not covered in its pages, there is just as certainly something for anyone tasked with the job of teaching these concepts to students of all ages.
’ AUTHOR INFORMATION Corresponding Author
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[email protected] ’ REFERENCES (1) 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know. Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: Boston, MA, 2003; http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/booksellers/press_release/100words/ (accessed Feb 2011). (2) For the theoretical basis of nanoscale behavior, I also strongly recommend this text: Rogers, B.; Pennathur, S.; Adams, J. Nanotechnology: Understanding Small Systems; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2008.
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