James K. Murray, Jr.

, PhD,
Associate Professor & Chair, Chemistry
Department
Immaculata University

Joyce Hubert-Theriot, M.S.

Bayard Rustin High School

Barry F. Stein, PhD

Senior Project Consultant

Overview of nanotechnology

Description of the nanotechnology
education program

Demonstrations
◦ Experiment (Nano Gold)
◦ On-Line Access to University Equipment

Opportunity to participate in our National
Science Foundation-supported Grant
 Our students will live in the
nanotechnology age,
experience its benefits, and
be responsible for its prudent use.

As Teachers we need to provide

informational opportunities for them
In this cutting-edge field.

Limited awareness of nanotechnology
among teachers

Equipment is expensive or scarce

Little or no exclusive time for instruction
about nanotechnology

Information overload on web, however-

Almost no textbook material available

Nanotechnology is an adaptable curriculum.

Aligning with the standards with nanotechnology is
possible in many content areas.

For example in the Colloidal-gold Experiment:

◦ Scale & Measurement

◦ Chemistry – Properties of Matter, mixtures vs. solutions
◦ Physics - Light Absorption, wavelengths,
Why is nano-gold red?
Tyndall effect

5

Teachers can receive free materials to
incorporate nanotechnology content

Classes can virtually connect and talk live
to University Professors

Lab equipment can be operated and
utilized in a university lab by secondary
students using classroom computers

No software purchase is necessary.

6

Brings nanotechnology content to
teachers in an easily accessible and
user-friendly format

Gives students an advantage to be
positioned ahead in cutting-edge
technology

Easy nanotechnology integration into most
science classes.
 What is Nanotechnology?

The ability to manipulate and control materials at the
level of atoms and molecules to design new
functionality. The nanoscale: 1nm=10-9m

An enabling science that
– applies to all disciplines
– blurs the distinction between biology, chemistry, & physics
• Nanotechnology will be pervasive in the upcoming
decades New career opportunities for students

8
The Economic Driver of the 21st Century
“Nanotechnology’s impact on health,
wealth and security of the world’s
people is expected to be at least as
great as the combined influences in
this century of antibiotics, the
integrated circuit and human-made
polymers.”
Federal Interagency Working Group
Report on Nanotechnology

9
Generally nanotechnology
deals with structures 100
nanometers or smaller,
and involves developing
materials or devices
within that size.
45 nm Intel Chips

11

New Materials-nanotubes

Life Sciences-drug development & delivery,
innovative therapies, diagnostics

Sensors-physical, chemical, biological

Ultra-high speed computing

Green technology: Fuel cells, solar cells, new
light sources, microbial cleanup, filtration

12
►Asof August 2009, there were more than 1015
manufacturer-identified nanotech products1

1The Woodrow Wilson International Center

for Scholars

Differences in students’ academic capability is
facilitated by a spectrum of course material

Limited attention span of students necessitates

engaging experiments that keep their focus.

Explorations must launch students’ inquiry skills

and motivation toward project development

One classroom period -experiments to assist in

the setup and breakdown requirements during a
quick change schedule of classes

Teachers’ backgrounds vary widely, so the
focus must be centered on basic scientific
principles

Teachers are constrained by their syllabus and
by “No Child Left Behind” requirements

In order for Teachers to introduce new material,
it must complement their present syllabus

Material must correlate with each state’s
academic standards and /or assessment
anchors

Curriculum is already tightly packed

Demands are imposed by way of state
and district standardized testing

Introducing new concepts often does not
receive the time needed

Teachers are expected to cover all of the
state standards in their content area!
We provide in workshops:

Modular experiments
Take-home materials for experiments
Detailed Lesson Plans
Correlation of lessons with standards &
assessment anchors
Method to access university equipment
from your classroom

Exposure to cutting-edge techniques

Engaging use of online technology

Fosters connections at the university level

Empowers students to feel that they can
be successful in college

Creates a competitive advantage for them
in their future education & career

Medicine: diagnostics and therapeutics (e.g., drug delivery)

Computers: a new generation on the horizon

Green technologies

Energy: capture, storage, & use; fuel cells, batteries

Environmental remediation: genetically-modified (GM)
microbes

Robotics: many uses

Manufacturing: self-assembly; “bottom-up” fabrication of
novel materials

Commerce: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) “smart”
tags

Space exploration: space elevator

Offer the opportunity to take advantage of this
Nanotechnology Grant

Integrate the nanotechnology lessons into any
science curriculum

Collect teacher and student feedback to
continually polish and advance the project

Involve teachers to participate in, and facilitate
nanotechnology workshops and/or courses

One-day Workshop at your school (Act 48
credit)

Three-credit hybrid graduate course (in
development):
Introduction to Nanotechnology
◦ Experiment Modules illustrating nanotechnology
principles
◦ Lesson plans
◦ Kits for use in classroom experiments

Easy to use

High reliability
◦ A combination of on-line and laboratory (2-3 days
hands-on) activities

21
 Objectives of the Colloidal Gold
Experiment

Understand that at the nano dimension the
optical properties of materials are strikingly
different

Use the color wheel to explain why the color of
the gold colloid is not gold

Show that the color depends on the size of the
gold particles

Motivate students to explore applications of
this unique phenomenon

22
 Mesogold How do I know there are gold particles there?
Why is the color pinkish-purple?

Get ready,
students are
fascinated by this
man most of all!
Mesosilver

23
“The Blue Man” as
seen on Today Show
24

How small are the ‘blue’ particles?

Will he live?

Why did he ingest nano-sized particles?

How can you detect these particles in
water?

25
26

Student cultivate interest and motivation to
FIND OUT MORE!

Many products have been developed for the
military for protection against: sun, bacteria,
shrapnel and other dangerous elements.

Some of these products have been released to the
general public and can be purchased.

27
E-Mail Contacts:
James K. Murray
jmurray@immaculata.edu

Joyce Hubert-Theriot
jtheriot@wcasd.net

Barry Stein
steinb@verizon.net

28
 Colloidal Au
Colloidal Au with NaCl

29