3 Credits Fall 2003 (MWF, 10:00 am)
Instructor: Dr. Mark MacLachlan
Summary
Students taking this course will become familiar with modern materials chemistry. This course is directed at a wide range of students with interests in inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, and will emphasize the chemical aspects of materials synthesis, characterization, and properties.
Tentative Course Outline:
Introduction (1 week)
- Overview of materials chemistry
- Classification of materials
For each of the topics listed below, aspects of the theory, synthesis, and applications of the materials will be covered:
Electronic Materials (3 weeks)
- Conducting polymers, molecular conductors, superconductors, LEDs
Optical Materials (2 weeks)
- Non-linear Optical (NLO) Materials
Carbon (2 weeks)
- Diamond; graphite; buckballs; nanotubes; applications of carbon
Silica (2 weeks)
- Glass; sol-gel chemistry; fibre-optic cables; aerogels; zeolites; mesoporous materials
Mechanical Materials (1 week)
- Advanced Ceramics (superhard materials, thermally resistant materials); Auxetic Materials
Other Topics will be selected from:
Liquid Crystals (ferroelectrics, displays), Self-Assembled Monolayers; Molecular Switches; Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).