Project in Advanced Materials - 2010
In order to reach a deeper and more complete understanding of “Advanced Materials”it is advisable to specialise in some particular aspect. To pass the exam on this course, you are therefore required to carry out a learning project of your own during the latter half of this course. The size of this project should correspond to about one week of full time work. Time for your“project work”, has been reserved on the schedule. In the project part of your work, you should push a little further and deeper than the level presented in the lectures, on one subject in which you are particularly interested.
The work should obviously start with a literature search, using the facilities available at the University Library. Personally, I recommend Web of Science, although this does not go further back than 1986. INSPEC is another good choice, which is more extensive but also a little more difficult to use. And, of course, in many areas you can look for good books in Album.
You are then required to write a short report or paper (maximum 10 pages of actual text), presenting what you have learnt, and to make an oral presentation of about 12 minutes.
The report must be written according to the template found on the webpage and proofread before handed in. A good idea is to let a friend correct your report. The better written, the better my response on the scientific part will be which very much determines the grade. Do NOT take the risk of copying text from other sources - write your own text!
The oral presentations will take part during the next to last week (25/5), just before the written exam. You are permitted to use blackboard and overhead viewgraphs, and I will try to arrange that a computer screen projector is available. Limit your presentation to 12 minutes - questions will be allowed.
Your report will be evaluated regarding both the formal structure and the language, but primarily it will be judged on its technical and scientific level and understanding. The report must be handed in not later than Monday, 10thof May, at 8.00.I will provide feedback on this version before the oral presentation. Thiswill also be judged primarily on scientific contents, but take the chance to polish your presentation skills!
The subject of your report is almost completely up to you, but avoid choosing subjects such as “carbon” or “nanomaterials”.Instead, use a narrower subject like; “carbon nanotubes” or even better; “electronics based on carbon nanotubes”. You only have a limited time for your project and by choosing a not so broad subject, you will have a better chance to gain a deeper understanding. The chosen subject must be registered and approved by me beforeSunday,April15th.However, the earlier you choose your subject the more time you have for your work! And if you have a favourite interest, be sure someone else doesn’t sign up for that project before you do!
Send your finished report in pdf-format to: . Please use my gmail since my physics.umu.se address has limited space.
Most importantly
Have fun and learn alot!
Thirty+ suggestions for projects (in alphabetical order):
Advanced polymeric materials
Aerogels
Bioinspired composites
Biomimetic materials
Biosensors
Carbon nanotubes
Conducting polymers:Battery applications
Conducting polymers:Electronic circuits
Conducting polymers:Display applications
Dendritic polymers
DNA-based electronics
Fullerenes
“Green” cars – battery materials
Hydrides
Intelligent materials
Intercalation materials
Ion conducting ceramics
Ion conducting polymers
Liquid crystals
Magnetic cooling
Microscopy at the nm scale
Nanomaterials (can be varied in an almost infinite way!)
Negative refractive index materials
Organic light-emitting diodes
Photonic bandgaps and photonic materials
Photovoltaics
Quantum dots
Pseudocrystal geometry
Printable electronics
Skutterudites
Smart windows
Solid-state lighting
Synthetic metals and intercalation
Steel
Superconductivity:Critical current theory
Superconductivity:High temperature superconductors
Superconductivity:Power applications
Superconductivity:SQUIDs
Synthetic muscles
Thermoelectric cooling
Thermoelectric power conversion
Wood as an advanced material: Laminates, composites, modified wood
...but the best is, of course, that you come up with your own suggestion!