Studying Nanoscience & Nanotechnology @ Sussex
Undergraduate
Get a taste of the courses on offer from the online undergraduate prospectus
Postgrad
/ Postdoc
Check out the nanoscale research we're undertaking at the University
Check out the online postgraduate prospectus to get a flavour of the courses available or fill out a form to get a copy
Why study Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and why choose Sussex ? What would you do in a N&N degree ? What opportunities are there for N&N graduates ? Click on a question !!!
The semiconductor industry is the largest in the world, the pharmaceutical industry one of the most advanced technologically - both are hungry for science and technology graduates. At Sussex we produce graduates in all areas of fundamental science with many specialist programmes, but we asked ourselves what innovation in education is required that might inspire radical new science thinking in students at the beginning of the 21st century? This degree is our answer: an education that does not straitjacket thinking along physical, chemical or biological lines, but draws on all three disciplines working in the same arena: the nano-scale.
"Fat fingers, Sticky fingers"
This is the way the problem of manipulating atoms is posed by physicists. The tools which we have to manipulate atoms, and the building blocks for nano-construction, have dimensions the same as or greater than atoms themselves - hence "fat fingers". Single atoms are, in general, reactive - they will stick to 'anything' - hence "sticky fingers".
Manipulating atoms is the 'stock-in-trade' of conventional chemistry, especially organic chemistry, which is more like a game of pinball than a game of snooker with atoms. The fantastic wealth of achievement in organic chemistry illustrates the power of chemical (often lateral) thinking applied to mechanism and synthesis. The analogy with pinball is even more striking when it is realised that, in the organic chemist's case, s/he is only allowed to shake the board vigorously (thermal excitation) to obtain the desired product - look no hands! It is interesting that substantial strides have been made in carbon nanotechnology at Sussex by careful choice of organic precursor and catalyst combination in the synthesis of nanotubes.
This is the motivation for a strong chemistry component in the degree.
Quantum Mechanics Rules, OK
There can be no doubt that quantum mechanics must be central to any discussion on Nanotechnology. It sets the rules at the nanometre dimension - at the nanoscale, Quantum Mechanics is king. A nanotechnologist who did not have a grasp of the principles, causes, effects and tools of quantum mechanics would be like a car mechanic who was familiar with horse-drawn coaches, but did not understand how the engine worked.
This,
and its application in devices, is the motivation for a strong Physics component.
Nature does it best
Nanotechnologists must be able to understand and learn from living systems, which have an established and efficient nanotechnology.
This is the motivation for a strong Biochemistry component.
Summary
The degree is a partnership between the Chemistry, Physics and Biochemistry subject groups at Sussex, featuring research active staff in the Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. It provides graduates with an understanding of, and respect for, each of these disciplines (and their practitioners) and equips them with the tools to confront the atomic limit to current technologies that they will inevitably have to face during their careers.
The learning outcome is a student who has a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the physical, chemical and biochemical properties of nanoscale systems and, with knowledge of state-of-the-art tools for observation, modelling and modification, can apply the science of the late 20th century as technology in the 21st.
Why choose Sussex?
In the recent RAE Sussex was awarded grade 5 for its national and international excellence in research in all the subject areas, Chemistry, Physics and Biology that will be contributing to the nanoscience and nanotechnology degree. The university provides relaxed and friendly atmosphere in which to study and the close proximity of the research centres provides the perfect environment to nuture interdisciplinary activities. And if this is not enough, the modern cultural city of Brighton by the sea provides the ideal setting for hitech fields like nanotech !
We are offering a Nanoscience and Nanotechnology degree in 2003, but many of our current courses already feature substantial components of nanoscience and nanotechnology. These include chemistry, physics, biology and biochemistry, and final year projects in nanoscience and nanotechnology areas are already available to our students.
If you register for a course such as Chemical Physics or Natural Science, our aim is that you should be able to transfer onto N&N. In any event, N&N options and the possibility of working with an active Sussex N&N research group for your final year project is guaranteed.
The N&N degree will run as follows. From the start, you will see what effect the 'rules for the small world' have on the shape and reactivity of molecules, large and small, and on the behaviour of electrons.
Small is beautiful - nanometre science.
Then you learn the similarities and differences between conventional (i.e. macro) materials and nanomaterials. This will be backed up with foundations of classical physics, including oscillations and waves, the thermodynamics and kinetics of reactivity in chemistry, and cellular biochemistry.
In the second year, you will see how to understand the weird and wonderful structures of nanomaterials, study bonding and spectroscopy in chemistry, and in biochemistry you will learn about the ways energy is stored and transported in biomolecular systems.
Courses in electromagnetism and condensed matter physics will lay the foundations for the physics of solids and the behaviour of electrons. You will learn about the states of matter and how the behaviour of myriad small elements in a system work together to give us collective behaviour governed by statistical physics, like phase transitions
In your final year you will have your own research project within a Nanoscience / Nanotechnology research group - visit our Research webpages to see the research that's going on. In most degree programmes this is one of the most interesting and rewarding activities, and N&N will be no exception.
Lecture courses in the final year have core courses in the physics of solids and liquids and in Nanotechnology tools. Then there are options which can be selected from your own preferences:
- Dynamics of Molecules
- Modern Materials (featuring superconducting fullerides).
- Nanoparticles in Composite Materials (featuring polymers and minerals, with emphasis on production and their special optical properties)
- Computational Chemistry (including first principle calculations on nanostructures)
- Nanomagnetics
- Colloids and Surface Science
- Protein Form and Function
An extra option, Conceptual models, allows you to explore two cutting edge topics in science (e.g. Nanotechnology and Finite Size effects) in a seminar series.
How does one predict the future? At the turn of the nineteenth century it was predicted that London would be knee deep in dung within twenty years because of the preponderance of horse drawn carriages. Jules Verne, one of the first 'science fiction' writers, predicted that in modern Paris, 'academic credits' would be the world currency and science professors would be the wealthiest of people. Not all predictions come true.
Some current thinking is that Nanotechnology will give us molecular robots that can voyage through our bodies fixing things that are broken. Others rule this out because of all the difficulties (fat fingers, sticky fingers etc.) that currently present themselves.
Let's look at what's happening in the world today. All the major economies of the world have powerful government driven initiatives in Nanotechnology - often as one of only four or five such national initiatives. The US government has its National Nanotechnology Initiative, which states, "The total nanotechnology budget request is approximately $518.9 million".
Venture capital firms keep a watchful eye on Nanotechnology and help launch new companies.
Dr Adrian Burden of Printed Field Emitters says: "We need scientists and engineers who understand nanotechnology and its implications" and from the website of a leading nanotechnology company (Oxonica) we read: "Nanotechnology has given us the tools...to play with the ultimate toy box of nature - atoms and molecules. Everything is made from it...The possibilities to create new things appears limitless", Horst Stormer, Physics Nobel Prize Winner, Lucent Technologies and Columbia University.
See what's happening in Australia, where a new Nanotechnology degree has been offered at Flinders University.
Keep an eye on the UK based Institute of Nanotechnology to see what is going on around the world !
Although it's never possible to accurately predict the future, it seems clear that there will be a huge demand for competent and well trained nanoscientists and nanotechnologists for the foreseeable future.
