Discovering the fascinating world of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is emerging as a very powerful tool capable of revolutionizing and changing our way of life and even more today in which artificial intelligence, the big data and the internet of things, ingredients are having a synergistic and feedback role on nanotechnology. Nano-objects and nanostructures exhibit new phenomena and properties that are unthinkable in the macroscopic world. Such new phenomena and properties can be exploited to provide solutions for the great social challenges in medicine, energy, information/communication technology and the environment. The student is invited to embark on a fascinating journey to discover the great power of the small.
The objective of the subject is to familiarize the student with the concept of nanoscience and nanotechnology and to provide a thorough grounding of the scientific reasons behind the different behaviour that materials exhibit when they are miniaturized and how the nanomaterials can be observed, manipulated or synthesized in the nanoscale. On the other hand, it is intended to explain and raise awareness of the use of these nanomaterials for innovative technological developments in areas such as health, environmental remediation, information / communication, energy production / storage, synthesis and manufacturing of new materials, etc.
It is also expected that the student becomes aware of the multidisciplinary training that must be acquired to work in this field and the ethical, social and risk implications that these new disciplines may entail. The course will be complemented by some demonstrative practices in the classroom that will help to understand the fascinating world of materials at the nanoscale level.