Chemical NanoEngineering

10 Credit Module

Assessment: 80/20 (Exam/Coursework)

Description: Nanotechnology is increasingly moving from a research curiosity to actual product application, bring increased demands for nanoengineering. Nanotechnology is described generally as ‘the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres’ and more specifically can be thought of as assembling products at atom by atom, or molecule by molecule, so as to harness the unique properties of matter at the nanoscale. Here we will introduce the fundamental concepts of nanotechnology, discuss methods for characterising and fabricating at the nanoscale and look at application in the Chemical Engineering arena, together with consideration of the ethical and economic impacts of this new field.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the module the students should: 1. Be able to describe the main concepts and context of nanotechnology 2. Understand the specifics and applications of nanotechnology in a Chemical

Engineering context3. Be able to discuss the primary measurement techniques used in the nanoscale field

(eg Scanning Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, etc) 4. Identify the approach followed in building nanotechnology elements as being

either top-down or bottom-up 5. Identify societal, economic, and ethical implications of nanotechnology products

and activities.

Syllabus:

1. Introduction: History; Novel Properties and Applications (1hr)2. Nanomaterials: Size Effects; Scaling Laws and Dimensionality (1hr)3. Nanomaterials: Properties of nanoparticles, supramolecular complexes, carbon

nanotubes and fullerenes, thin films, nanosynthesis, etc (3hrs)4. Nanocharacterisation: AFM, STM, SEM, TEM, etc etc (3hrs)5: Nanofabrication: Top Down – Lithography, Etching, Film deposition… (3 hrs)6: Nanofabrication: Bottom Up – Self Assembly, Atomic Manipulation… (3 hrs)8: Chemical Nanoengineering: Nanocomposites, Nanofluids, Nanocatalysts (2hr)7: Chemical Nanoengineering: Chemical interactions on the nanoscale, nanoreactors,

nanofluidics (2hr)9: Implications and Impact: Societal, Economic, Ethical. (1hr)10: Future Perspectives (1hr)