Nanoscience & Technology

Nanoscience and technology is the emerging science of working with and building structures to the scale of 10 - 10,000 atoms (10-6 - 10-3 millimetres).

The revolutionary aspect of nanoscience is that we are now able to manipulate matter on the nanoscale and can fabricate materials with unique properties by design. Nanoscience and technology is concerned with the understanding of quantum mechanical interactions between arrays of atoms or molecules on the nanometre scale. Using this knowledge, materials can be designed with specific physical, chemical or biological function. The applications of nanoscience are huge and span the three central sciences (physics, chemistry, biology) as well as engineering and material science.

Nanoscience includes concepts of how to analyse, measure and visualise structures of molecular size, the design of new materials with specific properties and the study of how molecules interact with each other to form stable structures. The engineering of nanomachines, nanoelectronics and other nanodevices will assist in solving many of today’s medical and practical problems. Breakthroughs in medicine and computer science will be instrumental in realising the full potential of nanoscience and technology.

A wide variety of career options exist within the area of nanoscience including working as engineers, chemists, physicists, computer and materials scientists. With technological development and very high precision, engineers manufacture, machine and manipulate materials to smaller and smaller dimensions. At the same time, chemists and materials scientists have developed methods for synthesising and assembling extremely small structures atom-by-atom.

In 2010 the University was awarded funding by the Federal Government to construct the Australian Institute for Nanoscience.

What will you study?

Nanoscience and technology draws on the strengths of all the basic sciences including chemistry, physics, mathematics, structural biology and materials science and engineering. This major reflects the marriage of these fields.

How do you work within Nanoscience & Technology?

A wide variety of career options exist within the area of nanoscience including engineers, chemists, physicists, computer and materials scientists. With technological development and very high precision, engineers manufacture, machine and manipulate material to smaller and smaller dimensions. At the same time, chemists and materials scientists have developed methods for synthesising and assembling extremely small structures atom-by-atom. Graduates are eligible for membership of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) if Senior Chemistry is included in the major.

How do you study Nanoscience?

This major can be studied within the Bachelor of Science, Advanced Science or Liberal Studies degrees.