Instructors:
Jennifer Lee, Chemistry and Biochemistry, UC Merced
Son Nguyen, Chemistry and Biochemistry, UC Merced
Prerequisites: Chemistry and Algebra II at the high school level
General Description
When bulk materials are reduced to the nanometer scale—roughly several thousand times thinner
than a human hair—they exhibit unique physical and chemical properties not seen in their larger
counterparts. These emerging properties have sparked significant interest in potential
applications across biotechnology, electronics, energy conversion, and chemical transformations.
These materials enable innovations such as targeted therapeutics, ultrasensitive diagnostic tools,
next-generation solar cells and display technologies, and high-performance catalysts.
In this course, students will also be introduced to the fundamental principles governing
nanocrystal formation, structure, and reactivity. They will learn how nanocrystals are
synthesized, characterized, and applied to accelerate chemical reactions. Modern techniques in
nanocrystal growth and evaluation of their catalytic activity in model reactions will be offered
through lectures and hands-on laboratory experiences.
Course 1: Synthesis and Characterization of Metallic Nanoparticles
The synthesis of metallic nanoparticles follows principles similar to common crystallization
experiments familiar to many high school students, such as growing NaCl or CuSO₄.5H₂O
crystals. Crystallization begins with nucleation and proceeds through controlled growth. At the
nanoscale, the key challenge is to limit the growth so that the crystals remain within the
nanometer size range.
Students will learn to synthesize gold and palladium nanocrystals using solution-phase chemical
methods and explore how reaction parameters, such as temperature, precursor concentration, and
ligands, can be used to tune their sizes from a few nanometers to several tens of nanometers.
They will also practice purification and isolation techniques to prepare nanoparticles for further
analysis. Characterization will include ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis) to measure
light absorption properties and electron microscopy to observe the size and shape of the
nanocrystals. These experiments enable students to connect synthesis conditions and nanoscale
structures with optical and surface properties.
Course 2: Catalysis of Metallic Nanoparticles in Organic Reactions
A major advantage of nanoparticles is their high surface-to-volume ratio, which makes them
particularly effective as catalysts for chemical transformations. In this module, students will
investigate how metallic nanoparticles accelerate organic reactions on their surfaces. The
reduction of aromatic probe molecules, such as nitroaromatics and organic dyes, will serve as the
model reaction, and its progress will be monitored using UV–Vis spectroscopy.
Students will measure reaction rates under different conditions and evaluate how quickly the
reaction proceeds with and without nanoparticle catalysts. They will learn to collect kinetic data,
analyze reaction profiles, and interpret changes in chemical reaction rates. Complementary
lectures will run in parallel to introduce the fundamentals of chemical kinetics, surface catalysis,
and quantitative methods for evaluating catalytic performance.