On February 7, 2013, the Department of Physical Sciences invited the Barry community to a seminar by Sir Dr. Harold Kroto, co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry entitled "Carbon in Nano and Outer Space."
About the seminar:
As the boundaries between chemistry, physics, and biology evaporate, the fascinating multidisciplinary field of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (N & N) are born. N & N involves the creation, study, and application of accurately-constructed, complex molecules with hundreds to thousands of atoms and overall nanoscale dimensions (ca. 10-9 m). It is defining science of the 21st century, and strategic applications of new advances in this area offer the exciting promise of major socio-economic as well as humanitarian benefits.
Chemists are now developing a vast range of novel synthetic strategies to create large molecules with not only intricate structures but also valuable functions. Nanoscale devices may soon replace silicon and metal in chips to make pocket supercomputers possible and the tensile strengths of these new materials promise exciting possibilities in engineering. This field is providing challenging problems with exciting objectives, which will affect all our lives in the future.
Dr. Kroto is the Francis Eppes Professor of Chemistry at Florida State University, where he joined as faculty in 2004.