We are currently in the generation of everything becoming smaller and smaller. Technology is advancing into the age of nano-materials. Your phones, your television or computers are all shrinking in size. This is due to nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the science, engineering, and technology that is conducted at the nano-scale. A single nano-meter is approximately 1 x 10 -7 centimeter in size. As you can see, it is working with technology that are quite small. Not only is nanotechnology related to just technology, but it can also be used in the health care industry. Imagine if you ingested some bacteria that is causing you to have an upset stomach. You can swallow those huge penny sized pills, or you can have a nano-sponge (around 500 nano-meters large) that can absorb the bacteria straight out of your system. To give a comparison on how small this nano-sponge, can be shown by the size of a single sand granule. A single granule of sand is around 2 millimeters. That is 4000 times larger than the nano-sponge! You would not notice ingesting this nano-sponge!
How does all of this relate to UAlberta Chemistry? Chemistry 333 – Inorganic Material Chemistry teaches you all the fundamentals of nano-materials and gets you started on the journey of the future. This chemistry course was my favorite course and I could not recommend it enough. In the lab portion, you experiment with lots of cool things. One of the most memorable lab experiences was when we made a photo-voltaic solar panel that could absorb light and generate an electric output. We powered a small fan by hooking up all the solar panels that every student made. Another fun experiment we did was using liquid nitrogen to super-cool neodymium magnets to around -160°C and that allowed it to float.
The experiment demonstrated the Meissner effect and allowed us to physically play around with a concept that we learnt in class.
This class is amazing in how the experiments are directly related to what you are learning about and brilliant in the way it is structured. Dr. Jason Cooke does a wonderful job at organizing the lab experiments! Once again, I fully recommend this class. I took it with Dr. Jillian Buriak and she was an excellent instructor! She would bring in people in the industry to do presentations for us and even Skype call other nano-material professors from other universities. This is a class I will never forget. The many excellent experiences this class had was a memory I will bring along with me, even as I graduate, this class will forever be in my mind! If you do take this class, I hope you have an amazing experience! Have a good New Years and cheers to 2019!
Sincerely,
Michael