Introduction
The primary goal of this graduate course is to introduce the student into the science and technology of the new field of Nanostructured Materials. Advances in high performance materials for a variety of applications are now becoming increasingly dependent on our ability to control the size, distribution and morphology of their constituent grains or phases at the nanoscale level (less than 100 nm). Capabilities for synthesizing such nanostructured materials are becoming available, so that it is possible to produce the quantities of materials needed for prototype development and testing. The emphasis of the course is to introduce the student into the building blocks of nanostructured materials, the behavior of such materials with nanoscale structures and their technological applications.
Content
1. Building Blocks
Atoms, Molecules, Nanopartcles,
Layers, Self-Assembly, Hierarchical Structures.
Clusters and cluster assembled
materials.
Ultrafine powders, thin films,
coatings, multilayers, and fibrous materials
2.Synthesis and processing.
Synthesis routes of interest include
chemical and physical vapor deposition,
mechanical milling, sol-gel synthesis
gas phase pyrolysis and condensation, electrodeposition, cryochemical synthesis,
laser pyrolysis, and other methods.
3.Theory of nanoscale structures
and computer simulations and Modeling.
4.Structure and characterization
of nanophases
5. Properties: mechanical, electrical,
optical, rheological, magnetic, etc.;
6.Technogical applications:
Structural materials, coatings,
thin film devices, membranes, catalysts, sensors, GMR and SET devices etc.
7. Related fields such as: nanolithography,
nanodevices, nanotubes etc.
Course Format
The format of the course will be lectures by the instructors, discussions on seminal topics, reading assignments on research topics, student presentations on research topics. The lectures will be augmented by computer interactive presentations at the Design , Simulation and Visualization Laboratory (MSV) of the School of Engineering. Special software will be used for the computer presentations, which include interactive problem solving assignments.
Class Format
The first eight weeks will be lecture/computer
lab presentations by the instructors. The remaining weeks there would be
student presentations on their research topics ( 30 minutes presentations
followed by 15 minutes discussion period). Two or three special seminars
by international authorities of the nanofield will be announced and will
be required to attend.
The students will be given special
accounts at the MSV lab where a variety of advanced software is available
for their utilization. They are expected to develop short computer modules
on their selected topics which will be posted on a special web site of
the nanostructured materials course.
The instructors will provide topics
and reading materials.
Book
The textbook for this course is:
Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties
and Apllications
by A. S. Edelstein (Editor), R.
C. Cammarata (Editor)
Paperback (October 1998) Price: $75.00
Inst of Physics Pub; ISBN: 0750305789
Availability: This title is currently
on back order. No a reprint date is available for this title, but it is
expected to be able to ship it within 3-5 weeks.
Students requirements
The students are required to do
the following:
Participate actively in the class
discussions
Select a topic for presentation
and develop a web module.
Take a take home final exam
Make presentation on the assigned
topic.
Attend all seminal and topical
presentations and take notes for a summary notebook at the end of the semester.