Introduction to Nanotechnology: The New Science of Small

Course Overview

In 1959, physicist Richard Feynman envisioned manipulating atoms to create revolutionary technologies. Today, nanotechnology powers innovations like smartphones, targeted drug delivery, and gold nanoparticle diagnostics. This course, led by Professors Ted Sargent and Shana Kelley, explores the nanoworld—where quantum mechanics, biology, and engineering converge to redefine 21st-century science.

Video Lessons

1. The Crossroads of 21st-Century Science (34 min)
   Explore the nanoscale realm and how fundamental laws shift at this tiny magnitude.
2. The Fundamental Importance of Being Nano (31 min)
   Quantum mechanics and atomic interactions at the nanoscale.
3. From Micro to Nano—Scaling in a Digital World (29 min)
   The evolution of computing components and Moore’s law.
4. Leveraging the Nanometer in Computing (30 min)
   Challenges and solutions for ever-smaller circuits.
5. Leveraging the Nanometer in Communications (32 min)
   How fiber optics revolutionized data transmission.
6. Sensing the World through Nanoengineering (33 min)
   Quantum dots and advanced imaging systems.
7. Nanomedicine—DNA and Gold Nanoparticles (29 min)
   Nanoscale diagnostics using DNA and gold nanoparticles.
8. Nano and Proteins—Enzymes to Cholesterol (29 min)
   Protein interactions and nanoparticle applications.
9. Nanoparticles Detect Cancer in Living Organisms (28 min)
   Quantum dots as noninvasive cancer detectors.
10. Detecting Only a Few Molecules of a Disease (29 min)
    Microelectronic chips for efficient cancer diagnosis.
11. Nanomaterials That Seek and Destroy Disease (29 min)
    Gold nanoparticles in targeted tumor treatments.
12. How Nanomaterials Improve Drug Delivery (30 min)
    Precision delivery systems for medications.
13. Delivering Drugs with “Smart” Nanocapsules (29 min)
    Liposomes and next-gen drug carriers.
14. Nanoscale Surgical Tools (27 min)
    Precision tools and robotics in surgery.
15. Nanomaterials for Artificial Tissue (30 min)
    Stimulating cell growth and artificial organs.
16. How Nano Research Gets Done (34 min)
    Interdisciplinary collaboration in nanotechnology.
17. Nanomotifs—Building Blocks, Complex Structures (32 min)
    From nanotubes to supercrystals.
18. Using Nanotechnology to Capture Sunlight (30 min)
    Solar cell efficiency through nanomaterials.
19. Photons to Electricity—Nano-Based Solar Cells (32 min)
    Organic photovoltaics and flexible solar tech.
20. Nanotechnology for Storing Energy (30 min)
    Supercapacitors and virus-assembled batteries.
21. Nanotechnology for Releasing Energy (30 min)
    Catalysts and energy efficiency at the nanoscale.
22. Energy’s Holy Grail—Artificial Photosynthesis (31 min)
    Mimicking nature to store solar energy.
23. Nanorobots and Nature’s Nanomachines (30 min)
    Ethical concerns and biomimicry in nanotech.
24. On the Horizon and in the Far Future (37 min)
    Invisibility cloaks and Feynman’s legacy.