The story of nanomaterials in modern technology: An advanced course for chemistry teachers

Nanoscience is an important new field in modern science. It deals with the ability to create materials, devices, and systems having fundamentally new properties and functions by working at the atomic, molecular, and macromolecular levels. Many teachers in the educational system have relatively limited knowledge related to nanochemistry and nanotechnology, as they completed their training well over 10 years earlier. The current paper describes an advanced course for teachers in materials and nanotechnology. The course was designed to make chemistry teachers nanoliterate by providing them with the basic principles of nanoscience, enabling them to independently study any subject in nanoscience, and elevating their enthusiasm for chemistry. The course is structured with content introduced initially followed by opportunities to apply concepts. The course presents fundamental knowledge required to understand topics in nanoscience and advanced materials characterization. The teachers then apply this knowledge while independently studying one topic that they select themselves. Research lab experiments follow, offering an additional opportunity for knowledge integration.