NANOTECHNOLOGY: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

Abstract

Nanotechnology has been emerged as one of thehot-button fields of scientific study during this new centuryand rarely has a technology attracted as much publicitywithin a few years as Nanotechnology. Yet, the study ofnanotechnology science is mostly available for researchersand postgraduate level education. The Department ofMechanical Engineering Technology, MET, at theUniversity of Cincinnati has taken the lead to introduce theconcept of Nanotechnology Science at the undergraduatelevel for engineering and technology education. In thiscontext, an introductory curriculum has been established tomeet the essential needs for this promising and challengingarea of science. The curriculum includes: definitions, a briefhistory of nanotechnolgy, fabrication of nanoparticles;buckyballs and carbon nanotubes; characterizationtechniques, concept of nanofluids and smart structures.Perception of nanobiomedical engineering (nanoimplants,nanocarriers in drug delivery, nanobiosensors, cellular andtissue engineering). In this paper, a detailed description forthis curriculum is introduced.Index Terms ⎯ Nanotechnology, curriculum, nanomaterials,nanobiomedical.