CHEM764 - Materials Chemistry

This course will focus on the structure-property relationships in materials chemistry on length scales from atomic dimension up to the microscale and then core concepts to Chemical design that underpins future, "Energy and Environmental Sustainability." We will introduce the "12 Principles of Green Chemistry" and "12 Principles of Green Engineering" as a guide to modern materials chemistry design and then follow a trajectory that proceeds with increasing length scales of ordering in the solid state. We will introduce techniques of x-ray, neutron, electron, and ion beam based scattering, real space imaging and spectroscopies and use these to explore non-crystalline materials (amorphous, glasses, and time permitting quasicrystals and aperiodic systems) and crystalline solids. Studies will proceed from atomic scales through nanoscale, mesoscale, and micro-scale discussing the emergence of band structure and delcocalized electronic and optical properties that emerge due tothe finite scale of ordering and influence of the surface. We will then focus on how these foundations of materials chemistry are shaping advances in solar energy utilization with photochemistry and photoelectrochemistry and materials for photovoltaic and enabling advances electrochemical energy conversion and storage.