• What is Nanoscience?
• What is the world like at the nanoscale?
• What happens when you squeeze an electron?
• Can we make a device with a single molecule?
• Can we make a molecular machine?
• Are self-replicating nanobots possible?

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the ability to understand and manipulate matter at the molecular level, to create artificial structures at the nanoscale with potentially novel functions.

Structures behave differently when their dimensions are reduced to the range of between one and one hundred nanometers. Such structures exhibit novel and very much improved physical, chemical and biological properties, due entirely to their nanoscopic size. Once we can control feature sizes on the nanometer length scale, it is possible to enhance material properties and device functions beyond those that we presently know or even consider possible.

Nanotechnology is defined as the ability to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, to create large structures with fundamentally new molecular organization.

Nanoscience is an exciting new multidisciplinary realm that brings together the traditional disciplines of Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

All students are allowed to take Minor in Nanoscience. However, please mind the double counting rules across different programmes. Up to two courses in this minor are allowed to be double counted in other programmes, like Major in Physics or Specialisation in Nanophysics. No triple counting is allowed.

The purpose of the Nanoscience Minor programme is to give a comprehensive introduction to the field of nanoscience, and would be suitable not only for students in the sciences and engineering, but also for students from any discipline with an interest in the latest developments in science.

This Nanoscience programme is in keeping with the latest research and technology trends today. An educated layman needs to be kept informed on the latest science and technology trends that could soon revolutionize the world’s economy.

This Minor would be particularly attractive to Physics, Chemistry majors and Engineering students.

To be awarded a minor in Nanoscience, a student must pass the following courses.

1. Two compulsory Level 1000 courses:
   
   • CM1102 Chemistry – The central Science
   • PC1101 Frontiers of Physics
2. Two compulsory Level 2000 courses:
   
   • SP2251 Science at the Nanoscale
   • CM2133 Foundations of Physical Chemistry
3. One of the following Level 3000 courses*:
   
   • CM/PC3288N Advanced UROPS
   • SP3277 Nano: from Research Bench to Industry Applications**

* CM and PC majors have to read non-CM and non-PC coded courses respectively

** SP3277 involves a compulsory nanotechnology study tour to Japan