American Journal of Educational Research
ISSN (Print): 2327-6126 ISSN (Online): 2327-6150 Website: https://www.sciepub.com/journal/education Editor-in-chief: Ratko Pavlović
Open Access
Journal Browser
Go
American Journal of Educational Research. 2025, 13(3), 121-125
DOI: 10.12691/education-13-3-3
Open AccessCommentary

Nanoscience in the Undergraduate Curriculum

Swarna Basu1,

1Department of Chemistry, Susquehanna University, 514 University Avenue, Selinsgrove, PA 17870

Pub. Date: March 24, 2025

Cite this paper:
Swarna Basu. Nanoscience in the Undergraduate Curriculum. American Journal of Educational Research. 2025; 13(3):121-125. doi: 10.12691/education-13-3-3

Abstract

The development and evolution of a special topics course in nanoscience for undergraduates is described here. Ideas for course design, assessments and activities are discussed, in addition to learning goals and how the goals were met and assessed. The goal of any special topics course should be to introduce students to up to date ideas and developments while including an overview of foundational concepts covered in previous courses. In addition, the right balance between content delivered through lectures and in-class discussions, and visualization through laboratory activities and experiments, is important. Finally, several aspects of course design and efforts to increase student interest and engagement are discussed.

Keywords:
nanoscience undergraduate program course design

Creative CommonsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]  Sohlberg, K., “Introducing the Core Concepts of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: Two Vignettes”, Journal of Chemical Education, 83 (10), 1516, October 2006.
 
[2]  Mason, D. S., “The World According to Nano-technology”, Journal of Chemical Education, 82 (5), 665, May 2005.
 
[3]  Park, E. J., “Nanotechnology Course Designed for Non-Science Majors To Promote Critical Thinking and Integrative Learning Skills”, Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (6), 1278-1282, April 2019.
 
[4]  Ben Rogers, J. A., Sumita Pennathur, Nanotechnology, Understanding Small Systems. CRC Press, 2011.
 
[5]  Ratner, M. A., Ratner, D., Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to the Next Big Idea. Pearson, 2003.
 
[6]  Walter, P., Welcomme, E., Hallégot, P., Zaluzec, N. J., Deeb, C., Castaing, J., Veyssière, P., Bréniaux, R., Lévêque, J. L., Tsoucaris, G., “Early use of PbS nanotechnology for an ancient hair dyeing formula”, Nano Letters, 6 (10), 2215-2219, September 2006.
 
[7]  Mohan Bhagyaraj, S., Oluwafemi, O. S., “Chapter 1 - Nanotechnology: The Science of the Invisible”, Synthesis of Inorganic Nanomaterials, Woodhead Publishing, 2018, 1-18.
 
[8]  Alivisatos, A., “Less is more in Medicine”, Scientific American, 17, 72-79, September 2007.
 
[9]  Whitesides, G. M., “The once and future nanomachine”, Scientific American, 285 (3), 78-83, September 2001.
 
[10]  Stix, G., “Little Big Science”, Scientific American, 285 (3), 32-37, November 1999.
 
[11]  Ruan, G., Sun, Z., Peng, Z., Tour, J. M., “Growth of Graphene from Food, Insects, and Waste”, ACS Nano, 5 (9), 7601-7607, July 2011.
 
[12]  Saute, B., Narayanan, R., “Solution-based direct readout surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) detection of ultra-low levels of thiram with dogbone shaped gold nanoparticles”, Analyst, 136 (3), 527-532, February 2011.
 
[13]  Chakraborty, A., Jana, N. R., “Vitamin C-Conjugated Nanoparticle Protects Cells from Oxidative Stress at Low Doses but Induces Oxidative Stress and Cell Death at High Doses”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 9 (48), 41807-41817, November 2017.
 
[14]  Cong, V. T., Wang, W., Tilley, R. D., Sharbeen, G., Phillips, P. A., Gaus, K., Gooding, J. J., “Can the Shape of Nanoparticles Enable the Targeting to Cancer Cells over Healthy Cells?” Advanced Functional Materials, 31 (32), 2007880, August 2021.
 
[15]  Contreras, E. Q., Cho, M., Zhu, H., Puppala, H. L., Escalera, G., Zhong, W., Colvin, V. L., “Toxicity of Quantum Dots and Cadmium Salt to Caenorhabditis elegans after Multigenerational Exposure”, Environmental Science & Technology, 47 (2), 1148-1154, January 2013.
 
[16]  Yatsunyk, L. A., Mendoza, O., Mergny, J.-L., “Nano-oddities: Unusual Nucleic Acid Assemblies for DNA-Based Nanostructures and Nanodevices”, Accounts of Chemical Research, 47 (6), 1836-1844, May 2014.
 
[17]  Nanowerk. nanowerk.com.
 
[18]  National Nanotechnology Initiative. nano.gov.
 
[19]  Winkler, L. D., Arceo, J. F., Hughes, W. C., DeGraff, B. A., Augustine, B. H., “Quantum Dots: An Experiment for Physical or Materials Chemistry”, Journal of Chemical Education, 82 (11), 1700, November 2005.
 
[20]  McFarland, A. D., Haynes, C. L., Mirkin, C. A., Van Duyne, R. P., Godwin, H. A., “Color My Nanoworld”, Journal of Chemical Education, 81 (4), 544A, April 2004.
 
[21]  Pavel, I. E., Alnajjar, K. S., Monahan, J. L., Stahler, A., Hunter, N. E., Weaver, K. M., Baker, J. D., Meyerhoefer, A. J., Dolson, D. A., “Estimating the Analytical and Surface Enhancement Factors in Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS): A Novel Physical Chemistry and Nanotechnology Laboratory Experiment”, Journal of Chemical Education, 89 (2), 286-290, September 2011.
 
[22]  Meenakshi, V., Babayan, Y., Odom, T. W., “Benchtop Nanoscale Patterning Using Soft Lithography”, Journal of Chemical Education, 84 (11), 1795, November 2007.
 
[23]  Institute for Chemical Education, http:// uwice.wordpress.chem.wisc.edu.
 
[24]  Mulfinger, L., Solomon, S. D., Bahadory, M., Jeyarajasingam, A. V., Rutkowsky, S. A., Boritz, C., “Synthesis and Study of Silver Nanoparticles”, Journal of Chemical Education, 84 (2), 322, February 2007.
 
[25]  Brumbaugh, A. D., Cohen, K. A., St. Angelo, S. K., “Ultrasmall Copper Nanoparticles Synthesized with a Plant Tea Reducing Agent”, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2 (8), 1933-1939, July 2014.
 
[26]  Cai, L., Wu, Y., Xu, C., Chen, Z., “A Simple Paper-Based Microfluidic Device for the Determination of the Total Amino Acid Content in a Tea Leaf Extract”, Journal of Chemical Education, 90 (2), 232-234, December 2012.
 
[27]  27. Hale, P. S., Maddox, L. M., Shapter, J. G., Voelcker, N. H., Ford, M. J., Waclawik, E. R., “Growth Kinetics and Modeling of ZnO Nanoparticles”, Journal of Chemical Education, 82 (5), 775, May 2005.
 
[28]  “Lasting impact of lipid nanoparticles”, Editorial, Nature Reviews Materials, 6 (12), 1071, December 2021.
 
[29]  Pilkington, E. H., Suys, E. J. A., Trevaskis, N. L., Wheatley, A. K., Zukancic, D., Algarni, A., Al-Wassiti, H., Davis, T. P., Pouton, C. W., Kent, S. J., Truong, N. P., “From influenza to COVID-19: Lipid nanoparticle mRNA vaccines at the frontiers of infectious diseases”, Acta Biomaterialia, 131, 16-40, September 2021.
 
[30]  Berger, P., Adelman, N. B., Beckman, K. J., Campbell, D. J., Ellis, A. B., Lisensky, G. C., “Preparation and Properties of an Aqueous Ferrofluid”, Journal of Chemical Education, 76 (7), 94, July 1999.
 
[31]  Shepherd, S. J., Warzecha, C. C., Yadavali, S., El-Mayta, R., Alameh, M.-G., Wang, L., Weissman, D., Wilson, J. M., Issadore, D., Mitchell, M. J., “Scalable mRNA and siRNA Lipid Nanoparticle Production Using a Parallelized Microfluidic Device”, Nano Letters, 21 (13), 5671-5680, June 2021.
 
[32]  White, D. H., “Simulation in the chemistry classroom of decision-making processes for social issues involving chemistry”, Journal of Chemical Education, 56 (9), 600, September 1979.
 
[33]  Smythe, A. M., Higgins, D. A., “(Role) Playing Politics in an Environmental Chemistry Lecture Course”, Journal of Chemical Education, 84 (2), 241, February 2007.
 
[34]  Dorouka, P., & Kalogiannakis, M., “Teaching nano-technology concepts in early-primary education: an experimental study using digital games”, International Journal of Science Education, 46(13), 1311–1338, November 2023.
 
[35]  Dorouka, P., Kalogiannakis, M., & Blonder, R., “Tablets and Apps for Promoting Nanoliteracy in Early Childhood Education: Results from an Experimental Study”, Journal of Science Education and Technology, 33(4), 1-18, July 2024.