Nanomaterials

“What are nanomaterials?” As a consequence of the interdisciplinary and highly dynamic nature of the field of Nanosciences the answer to this seemingly simple question has been elusive for years, and only recently scientists agreed on a general definition. In 2011, the European Commission (EC)
drafted the following definition for nanomaterial: “a material that consists of particles with one or more external dimensions in the size range 1 nm–100 nm for more than 1% of their number”; and/or “has internal or surface structures in one or more dimensions in the size range 1 nm–100 nm”; and/or “has a specific surface area by volume greater than 60 m2 cm−3, excluding materials consisting of particles with a size lower than 1 nm”.

This definition may sound too elaborated and long but is actually quite simple: the key feature is the nanoscale size! This implies that Nanomaterials encompass a wide variety of different materials and
comprise categories such as nanoparticles, thin films and porous materials. More importantly, because of the reduced dimensions (or high surface area) the chemical, optical, magnetic and electronic properties may become very different from those of the corresponding bulk materials. The essential feature of nanomaterials is that their physical and chemical properties are size dependent, making it possible to tune the materials properties by controlling the chemical composition, size, and shape of the nanostructures and the way in which individual building blocks (atoms, molecules or smaller nanostructures) are assembled. For example, an originally stable material may become much more reactive; nanoparticles often have another colour than the bulk material, specific (opto)electronic and magnetic effects may take place. Basically, it is all about controlling material properties, and nanomaterials science provides us the tools to do so with ultimate precision.

World leading research in this field is done within the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, most notably on “Catalysts & Energy Materials”, “Colloids & Bioinspired Materials”, and “Nanophotonics & Quantum Materials”. The special properties of nanomaterials offer opportunities for all sorts of new applications, e.g. photonics and (opto)electronics, CO2 circularity, electrocatalysis, energy conversion and storage, and biomedical imaging and sensing.

After a brief introduction to the field, the following topics will be discussed in depth:

• Semiconductor and metal nanoparticles (Celso de Mello Donegá)
• Metal clusters, porous materials and supported nanoparticles, Nanomaterials for sustainable energy applications (Petra de Jongh)
• Self-assembled quantum-dot solids (Ward van der Stam)

To make sure each part of the course is equally represented in the final grade (i.e., 1/3 each), the exam grades will be calculated as following (weight for each part is proportional to number of lectures given at time of the exam, MT= mid-term exam; F= final exam): 
Grade(MT) = (CDM_MT) 
Grade(F) = (PdJ_F × 1/2) + (WvdS_F × 1/2)

The mid-term and final exam grades account for 1/3 and 2/3 of the final grade, respectively. This is equivalent to the following:
Final Grade= (CDM_MT × 1/3) + (PdJ_F × 1/3) + (WvdS_F × 1/3)

This course builds on the knowledge from different level 1 and 2 courses offered in the first and second year of the Chemistry Bachelor program of Utrecht University: Fysische en Anorganische Chemie (sk-bfyan13), Kwantum Chemie en Anorganische Chemie (sk-bkwan), Fysische Chemie 2 (sk-
bfych) and Anorganische en Vastestofchemie (sk-banv13). The knowledge gained in this course offers an excellent basis for the Master Programme “Nanomaterials Science” of Utrecht University