The course will provide the students with the general and specific knowledge about functional materials, their preparation, physico-chemical properties and applications. Starting from selected examples where these materials have been applied (composites for tissue engineering, optical and magnetic functional materials, sensing materials), the most relevant aspects related to the design, the synthesis, the characterization and the application of these materials will be analyzed and discussed.
Lecture Notes distributed through the e-learning Moodle Platform by UNIFI
Learning Objectives
The target of this course is to introduce students to the latest developments in the field of functional nanomaterials. Starting from cases of study in which the use of functional materials has led to significant technological advancements, students will gain knowledge about the design principles, the methods of preparation, the physico-chemical properties and the characterization techniques that have been crucial to the development of this new class of materials.
Prerequisites
Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended)
Courses required: None
Recommended courses:
- Physical Chemistry of Nanomaterials
- Nanomaterials laboratory
- Physico-chemical methods for the study on nanosystems
Teaching Methods
Class lectures.
Further information
No additional info
Type of Assessment
Intermediate assessments on a voluntary basis + FINAL ORAL EXAM
Course program
This interdisciplinary course is oriented to give general and specific knowledge to the student about functional materials, their preparation, their physico-chemical properties and their most recent applications in the field of material science. In particular, the course will focus on the potentials of composite organic-inorganic materials, where the combination of dissimilar components at the nanometric and molecular level leads to a variety of novel materials and functional properties. The most relevant applications of these materials will be discussed, including bio-active materials for tissue engineering, functional optical and magnetic materials, conducting polymers and field-effect transistors, materials for energy conversion and storage, responsive composites for sensing applications. Across these examples, the design principles, the synthetic approaches, the characterization techniques and the application of these materials will be thoroughly discussed.