Engineering at the Nano-scale

Catalog description

Engineering at the nano-scale, its current applications, its future directions, and its impact on society are the subjects of E SC 520. The uniqueness of the nano-scale is addressed by first reviewing the basic aspects of our picture of the physical world (e.g. Newtonian and quantum mechanics, geometrical and physical optics) and then exploring the relative impact of these aspects on physical, chemical, and biological phenomena at the nano-scale. Which phenomena dominate as a function of scale and how this competition affects properties and structures is explored in detail allowing the opportunities of the nano-scale to emerge. Impact of the uniqueness of the nano-scale on engineering and the possibilities offered for engineering applications, ranging from manufacturing processing to better building materials to better drug delivery systems, are discussed throughout the course. These creative possibilities afforded by engineering at the nano-scale are highlighted by a varying array of applications taken from fields including medicine and biotechnology, agriculture and food, environmental mitigation, electronics and spintronics, opto-electronics, photonics, sensing, materials, transportation technology, energy production, energy storage, and informatics.