New Materials, from stone to steel to silicon, have had a key role to play in the progress of our civilization for millennia. Today, our lives are being rapidly transformed by developments in areas such as computing which are based on the continued miniaturisation of silicon based transistors. In other areas, developments in optical communication rely on enhancing the perfection of glass fibres while lighter, stronger composites depend on improvements in the areas of plastics and carbon fibres.

In recent years, technological developments have led us to the area of nano-materials. These materials, which have dimensions approaching the size of atoms, are the fundamental building blocks of the emerging field of nano-technology.

What these things have in common is that they depend critically on the properties of materials to work. This is the basis of Materials Science. What distinguishes the modern investigation of materials is that it is firmly grounded in basic science. Complex instruments and sophisticated theories combine to provide fundamental insights into the microscopic properties of materials, which in turn makes it possible to design new materials for specific purposes and to generate new applications for these materials.

"The Physics and Chemistry of Advanced Materials" is a joint course taught by the Schools of Chemistry and Physics in TCD. This is an interdisciplinary course, designed to introduce undergraduate students to the fascinating world of Materials Science. A full description of the course is provided in Course Material. For entry requirements please go here.