Preface to the Second Edition
S
ince the first edition of Understanding Nanomaterials was released,
the fields of nanotechnology and nanoscience have continued to
grow and evolve at an incredible pace. The major national-scale programs funding user facilities, such as the Molecular Foundry in Berkeley,
California, and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory in Richland, Washington, and nanotechnology centers at large research universities have been augmented by increased interest in nanotechnology
across the spectrum of postsecondary education. According to the
National Nanotechnology Initiative program directory,
1 at present, there
are 33 undergraduate programs, 22 master’s programs, and 20 doctoral
programs in nanotechnology, nanoscience, or molecular engineering in
the United States alone. A community college level program was even
piloted at North Seattle College.
As nanotechnology and nanoscience evolve into larger, more mainstream
fields, undergraduate instruction in nanoscale systems is growing in
importance. Programs are introducing nanoscale science earlier in the
curriculum and drawing students from an increasingly diverse variety of
academic programs. To address this need, we have greatly expanded
Understanding Nanomaterials to include a wider range of background
material covering essential elements of physical chemistry and classical
physics for understanding nanosystems as well as expanding to a larger
number of materials and applications. The contents of the first edition
1 https://www.nano.gov/education-training/university-college.
xvii
S
ince the first edition of Understanding Nanomaterials was released,
the fields of nanotechnology and nanoscience have continued to
grow and evolve at an incredible pace. The major national-scale programs funding user facilities, such as the Molecular Foundry in Berkeley,
California, and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory in Richland, Washington, and nanotechnology centers at large research universities have been augmented by increased interest in nanotechnology
across the spectrum of postsecondary education. According to the
National Nanotechnology Initiative program directory,
1 at present, there
are 33 undergraduate programs, 22 master’s programs, and 20 doctoral
programs in nanotechnology, nanoscience, or molecular engineering in
the United States alone. A community college level program was even
piloted at North Seattle College.
As nanotechnology and nanoscience evolve into larger, more mainstream
fields, undergraduate instruction in nanoscale systems is growing in
importance. Programs are introducing nanoscale science earlier in the
curriculum and drawing students from an increasingly diverse variety of
academic programs. To address this need, we have greatly expanded
Understanding Nanomaterials to include a wider range of background
material covering essential elements of physical chemistry and classical
physics for understanding nanosystems as well as expanding to a larger
number of materials and applications. The contents of the first edition
1 https://www.nano.gov/education-training/university-college.
xvii