NKEA07005U Unifying Concepts in Nanoscience (UCN)

Volume 2019/2020
Education

MSc Programme in Chemistry
MSc Programme in Nanoscience

Content

Nanosized systems have special properties. The objective of the course is to learn about the unifying concepts that form the scientific basis of these special properties and the methods used and developed to study them. The physical and chemical basis for the special properties of nanoscale systems will be developed systematically using the simple models and theory. Examples are from currect nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Learning Outcome

After completing the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge:
- Concepts of absorption, spontaneous emission and stimulated emission.
- Concepts of vibrational spectroscopy techniques, IR, Raman, SERS and surface plasmons.
- Particle in a box model.
- Concepts on electron tunneling, transport and transfer.
- Concepts of high resolution microscopy.
- Concepts of Single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.
- Concepts of energy transfer (FRET, Dexter), aggretate properties (J and H), eximer and exiplex interactions and superquenching.
- Concepts on molecular electronics, OLED and OFET, thin film devices.
- Concepts on biological and artificial membranes.
- Concepts on nanowire based bioFETs.
- Knowledge about the properties of nanomaterials like graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanowires, quantum dots, small metal clusters and nanoparticles.
- Concepts on the different properties of bulk material versus nanoparticles.
 

Skills:
- Apply the above mentioned knowledge for understanding and calculating nanoscale system properties and behavior.

Competency:
- Read recent nanoscience and course related articles, understand them, present them and write a self consistent essay on them.
- Write an assignments on a specific concept, technique, literature review and nanoscience related research proposal.

Literature

Lecture notes and additional material, See Absalon

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
Students are expected to take part in a whole range of classroom activities, including lectures, presentations, discussions, writing assignments and an essay. The students need a personal pc in order the complete the assignments and the essay and for access to the Absalon system where all course related information is present.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 62
  • Preparation
  • 160
  • Project work
  • 190
  • Total
  • 412
Written
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)

Written feedback on the assignements. Collective and continous feedback on the student presentations. Feedback on the oral exam on the written essay and on the performace during the exam.

Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 30 min (no preparation time)
Continuous assessment
CHANGED in 2018:
Weight: (a) 25% Assignments, (b) 25% Essay, (c) 50% Oral Exam. Parts (b) and (c) must be passed in order to pass the course.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
several internal examiners
Re-exam

Same as the ordinary exam.

The assignments and essay must be completed 2 weeks before the oral re-exam.  It is possible to reuse the scores of the assignments and the essay if they were handed in on time.

Criteria for exam assesment

Understand and be able to explain the principles and concepts/properties seen in the course: Energy Transfer, Electron transfer and transport, Electronic coupling, particle in a box, tunneling, optical and vibrational spectroscopy techniques, SERS, high resolution fluorescence microscopy, self assembly, aggregate formation, absorption, spontaneous and stimulated emission, biological and artificial membranes, properties of nanowires, nanosensors (bioFET), nanotubes, graphene, properties of small metal clusters, molecular electronics