Science of the minuscule
Dr Brian Augustine demonstrates the use of an atomic force microscope to measure the surface of a CD to Grade 12 learners
Ronelle Ramsamy
ZULULAND pupils were taken into the magic world of the infinitesimal on Tuesday.
Budding nanotechnologists were enlightened on the study of materials far smaller than can be seen with the naked eye at the Unizulu Science Centre in Richards Bay.
The incomprehensible ‘Science of the Small’ was presented by Dr Brian Augustine, who is an Associate Professor and Fulbright Scholar at the University of KZN School of Chemistry.
The nanoscience course, termed ‘An Introduction to the Nanoworld’ was recently developed at James Madison University in Virginia.
The Grade 12 learners learnt about the size of objects at nanoscale while observing an atomic force microscope being demonstrated to measure the surface of a CD.
‘A single blink of an eye is about one-billionth of a year.
‘An eye blink is to a year what a nanometre is to a metre stick. A nanometre is one one-billionth of a metre.
‘A sheet of paper is about 100 000 nanometres thick.
‘A human hair measures roughly 50 000 to 100 000 nanometres across.
‘Your fingernails grow one nanometre every second.
‘CDs store data with micro/nanoscale features,’ said Dr Augustine.
Manipulate
The US Professor said nanotechnology meant working at small size scales and manipulating materials to exhibit new properties.
‘The atomic force microscope is a tool that enables scientists to observe and manipulate matter on the nanoscale.
‘Nanoscale refers to measurements of
1 - 100 nanometres.
‘A virus is about 70 nanometres long.
‘A cell membrane is about 9 nanometres thick.
‘Ten hydrogen atoms are about one nanometre.
‘At the nanoscale, many common materials exhibit unusual properties such as remarkably lower resistance to electricity, faster chemical reactions or interesting optical properties.’
Dr Augustine encouraged learners to focus on maths, physics and biology in secondary school to pursue a career in nanotechnology.
Groundbreaking
Current groundbreaking work being done in the field of nanotechnology includes a possible cure for cancer in the next 10 to 20 years.
‘Nanoscientists are currently designing molecules that will attack only cancer cells and kill them, unlike chemotherapy, which can be toxic to good cells.’