68633 - PRACTICUM

Learning outcomes

At the end of the practicum, the student has learned synthesis, experimental characterization, and modeling methods of a specific material. They are also capable of conducting bibliographic research on the studied material and presenting this scientific context and practical experience in the form of a brief oral presentation.

Course contents

The Practicum is designed as a series of brief, hands-on experiences in real scientific research activities within the laboratories of various research groups. During this period, each student will study a specific class of materials in a cross-cutting and interdisciplinary manner, integrating and applying the knowledge acquired across all the courses in the degree program.

For a given class of materials (examples provided below), each student will carry out at least three of the following four activities:

A) synthesis/fabrication/preparation;
B) structural characterization / functional property characterization (optical, vibrational, electronic, magnetic, etc.);
C) computational modeling/simulation;
D) device fabrication.

Several material classes will be proposed and students will be divided into groups. Each group will be assigned a specific class of materials.

The activities will be carried out in collaboration with various research groups affiliated with the Departments of Physics and Astronomy "Augusto Righi", Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician", and Industrial Chemistry "Toso Montanari". This will allow students to engage with different research environments, exploring topics related to both physics and chemistry, thereby reflecting the inherently interdisciplinary nature of materials science.

Examples of classes of materials include:

1. Perovskites for optoelectronic applications

2. Metal oxides for electrocatalytic applications

3. Polymeric hydrogels for biomimetic applications

4. Metal–organic polymers for mechanochromic applications

Structure of the Practicum (~3 weeks):

1) Introduction to the activities

This phase will cover the basic cross-disciplinary skills required for the research and study activities of the Practicum.

Specifically, students will learn:

• how to conduct a literature review (MODULE 1);

• how to manage, save, organize, and transfer data from experimental and computational activities (MODULE 2);

• how to write a scientific report and prepare a scientific presentation (MODULE 3).

2) Selection of the class of materials, groups division, and practical activities:

Each student group will visit three different laboratories, where they will carry out the activities listed above (A–D), specific to their assigned class of materials.

The laboratory sessions will generally include:

• an introduction to the lab and its research lines;

• practical hands-on experiences (e.g., material synthesis, characterization, computational modeling);

• data collection, processing, and analysis.

In this second phase, students will deepen their understanding of at least three of the four activities (A–D) through guided work in research laboratories.

3) Preparation of a final report and presentation

Each group will submit a written report and deliver an oral presentation of their work (15-minute seminar) during a mini-workshop open to all students of the degree program.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Booth, Andrew, et al. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review. 3rd ed., SAGE Publications, 2021.

Glasman-Deal, H. (2010). Science research writing for non-native speakers of English. Imperial College Press.

Teaching methods

The Practicum primarily consists of hands-on laboratory activities. These will be preceded by introductory sessions aimed at providing students with the essential tools and knowledge required to carry out research activities effectively within the participating research groups.

The activities will take place in the experimental and theoretical–computational laboratories of the three departments: Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, and Industrial Chemistry.

Students will be supported by faculty supervisors and tutors, who will guide them through both experimental and computational research activities.

Assessment methods

The Practicum includes a pass/fail assessment, which is obtained by each group through the completion of a written scientific report and participation in a mini-workshop with an oral presentation.

Teaching tools

Slide-based presentations.
Dedicated educational setups for laboratory activities.

 

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Ivan Rivalta

See the website of

See the website of Daniele Fazzi