Materials Creation

Program Directors

Prof. J.F. Löffler/Prof. P. Smith

Introduction

New research branches have often originated with the creation of new materials. The work of Hermann Staudinger (ETH professor and Nobel laureate), for example, led to the foundation of macromolecular science and polymer synthesis in the first half of the last century. The development of high-performance ceramics, on the other hand, began in the 1960s. Although metals form the oldest class of materials, significant advances are still being made in this area. New classes of metallic alloys include, for example, quasicrystalline materials and bulk metallic glasses. Colloids and composites, even composites consisting of different materials classes such as cermets and polymer/metal composites, are also becoming increasingly important. Today’s materials scientists thus need to be acquainted with the synthesis and processing of new materials, including pure elements and compounds that can be prepared both in their single-crystalline, polycrystalline or amorphous form, plus in two-dimensional systems, e. g. thin films and multilayers. Equally important are surface functionalization techniques on substrates consisting of the different classes of materials.

Objective of Courses

This program provides an overview of various techniques of synthesis and processing of modern materials, ranging from metals to ceramics to polymers, or combinations thereof. All courses involve practical examples, and are therefore an important link between academic training and industrial/scientific practice.

Teaching Goals

The intention is to disseminate detailed theoretical and practical knowledge on the synthesis and processing of advanced materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, thin films, and composites. All courses emphasize the underlying science of a given process rather than detailed descriptions of technique or equipment. Emphasis is also placed on the relationships between manufacturing, structure, and properties. The program involves several case studies and gives examples of applications. Students will also receive laboratory training in making new materials and evaluating their properties.

Courses

Fall Semester
Colloids and Colloidal Principles for Applications
Advanced Composite and Adaptive Material Systems
Functional Surfaces
Advanced Polymer Synthesis II - Supramolecular Chemistry of Advanced Materials
Spring Semester
Thin Metal Oxide Films: Processing, Properties and Applications
High-Performance Polymers
Advanced Polymer Synthesis I