Incorporating Nanoscale Science and Engineering Experimentsand Demonstrations into First-Year Undergraduate Courses

Eric J. Voss, Michael J. Shaw, Mark G. Bolyard, Paul E. Wanda, and Nader SanieiSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville, DMR-0407096

An interdisciplinary team of chemists, biologists, and engineers has incorporated nanoscale science and engineering experiments and demonstrations into introductory courses at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The first-year courses form the foundation of the science curriculum, and approximately 1000 science and engineering students each year are introduced to nanoscale topics as a result of this project. The honors seminar, Nanotechnology, is offered every Fall semester. In this course, 20 first-year honors students learn about nanoscale science through readings, discussion, writing assignments, and studentpresentations. Nanotechnology has great promise but raises societal, ethical, and cultural questions. One class period per week is spent in the laboratory doing hands-on nanoscale science activities and experiments. Nanoscale science and engineering experiments and demonstrations have been integrated into General Chemistry, and Engineering Chemistrylectures and laboratories. The Engineering Chemistry sequence has the most nanoscale content, with 8 of the 16 laboratory experiments related to nanoscale science and engineering applications. Implemented experiments include Synthesis of Aqueous Ferrofluid, Synthesis of a Nanocrystalline Phosphor, Disassembly of a Liquid Crystal Watch, Solid State Structure and Properties, Periodic Properties and LEDs, A Shape Memory Alloy NiTi, A Nanocrystalline Solar Cell, and Synthesis of Nickel Nanowires. First-year general chemistry students

collect the powder X-ray diffraction pattern for their nanocrystalline phosphor.

Nanocrystalline particles of the red-emittingphosphor Y2O3:Eu are preparedfrom an aqueous solution of the metalnitrates and urea in a combustion reaction.

Incorporating Nanoscale Science and Engineering Experimentsand Demonstrations into First-Year Undergraduate Courses

Eric J. Voss, Michael J. Shaw, Mark G. Bolyard, Paul E. Wanda, and Nader SanieiSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville, DMR-0407096

The project also involves an annual one-day Teachers Exploring the Nanoworld (TEN) professional development workshop for high school science educators from Southwestern Illinois and the Metro East St. Louis Region. Teachers attending the workshop will be able to incorporate examples from nanoscience into their curricula, resulting in “nano-aware” students feeding into colleges and universities. A group of high school science teachers assembled at SIUE on Mole Day, October 23, 2004, for a professional development workshop. After an “Exploring the Nanoworld” lecture featuring hands-on demonstrations, educators performed four nanoscale laboratory experiments and discussed how they plan to implement nanoscale science into their curricula. A second Exploring the Nanoworld workshop was provided for high school teachers at the St. Clair County Teachers’ Institute on April 1, 2005. In addition to the local and regional impact, educational materials resulting from these efforts are broadly disseminated through the web-based Nanoscale Video Lab Manual and Nanoworld Cineplex of Movies, http://mrsec.wisc.edu/nano.

High school chemistry teachers learn tomake aqueous ferrofluid at a professionaldevelopment workshop.

A suspension of nanoparticles formed by mixing Fe(II), Fe(III), and a surfactant result in magnetic ferrofluid.

First-year general chemistry students proudly display the aqueous ferrofluid they made in the laboratory.