10592 - Physical Chemistry of Materials

Learning outcomes

The course has the objective of providing an overview of several important classes of advanced materials (particularly the various types of liquid crystals, polymers, glasses, colloids, nanoporous materials) and to rationalize their properties, particularly those closer to practical applications (e.g. displays, thermal sensors etc.), in molecular terms.
We shall also examine some essential material characterization techniques, like Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Xrays.
A brief introduction to computer modelling and simulation techniques, to be treated more in detail in the "Laurea Specialistica" course, will be given, mainly with the aim of understanding the basic workings of the Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics codes currently of great importance also in an Industrial context.

Course contents

Condensed Matter States and Materials  The condensed phases of matter and the qualitative description of their structure and properties in terms of molecular ordering.
Crystals and some of their typical optical (birefringence) and mechanical (Young modulus) features. Liquids (optical isotropy, fluidity). Liquid crystals and their applications as advanced materials: nematics (functioning of Twisted Nematic, In Plane Switching, Vertical Alignment  Liquid Crystal Displays), cholesterics (thermal sensors), smectics (displays  endowed with memory), discotics (columnar phases and molecular wires). Lyotropic phases and self-assembling systems: micelles, liposomes, bilayers. Nanoporous  systems, artificial zeolites (e.g. MCM41): preparation via self-assembly and templating. Polymers. Elastomers. Colloids.

Phase Transitions and their classification (Ehrenfest, Landau - deGennes). Supercritical solvents and their applications. Metastability. Glassy state in polymers and in inorganic glasses. Nanoporous  systems.

X-ray diffraction and its applications in Materials Science. Bragg's law. Single crystal and powder spectra. X-ray of amorphous materials, polymers, glasses. SAXS.

Interactions between molecules and between colloidal particles. Empirical potentials (Hard spheres, Square Well, Lennard-Jones). Electrostatic interactions (charge, dipole, quadrupole). Induction and dispersion forces. The effect of the interaction range on the aggregation states of condensed matter and colloids. Relative importance of the different type of forces in solution. Interaction between colloidal particles. Elements of colloid stability. DLVO theory.

Relating molecular and macroscopic properties. A brief  introduction to modelling and computer simulation techniques (Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics). Examples of the application of simulation techniques to materials.

Readings/Bibliography

The handouts are all is required for the course and the final examination. For further reading:

I. W. Hamley, Introduction to Soft Matter : Polymers, Colloids, Amphiphiles and Liquid Crystals , Wiley (2000)

C. Zannoni, Cristalli Liquidi, Enciclopedia del Novecento, Supplemento III, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Treccani, 288-297 (2004)

R. Pashley and M. E. Karaman, Applied Colloid and Surface Chemistry,  Wiley (2004)

Teaching methods

Front Lectures using powerpoint presentation and blackboard

Assessment methods

A written essay on one the topics introduced during the course, and a brief oral, as a part of the Physical Chemistry examination

Teaching tools

The course is based on lectures delivered with the help of video-projector and blackboard.
An handout with copy of the slides shown and other needed material, if any, will be distributed in advance before every group of Lectures.

Links to further information

http://www2.fci.unibo.it/~bebo/z/

Office hours

See the website of Claudio Zannoni