Physical Chemistry of Materials
(course in Italian)
Taching material, notes and more: see the Ariel2 website (you can log in with your student's email credentials).
See also https://www.unimi.it/en/education/degree-programme-courses/2024/physical-chemistry-materials
Learning objectives
The course will illustrate the basic principles of physical chemistry of materials, with focus on response properties and on modern synthesis and analysis methods.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will acquire the main physical and physico-chemical skills for understanding and interpreting the responses of solid materials to mechanical, thermal and optical stimuli, in the context of advanced materials design and tailor-made preparation.
Course syllabus
Mechanical properties of bulk materials. Isotropic stress-strain: definition, characteristic curve. Anisotropic stress-strain. Voigt notation. Elastic response: stiffness and compliance. Thermal expansion (positive and negative). Isothermal compressibility. Poisson ratio, characteristic moduli. State equations. Optical properties. Propagation of the electromagnetic field in bulk materials. Refractive index. Dispersion and anomalous dispersion. Correlation: piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity and electrostriction. Electro-optical and elastic-optical effects. Pockels effect. Kerr effect. Introduction to Non-linear optics. Optical activity. Crystalline, amorphous and composite materials. Thermodynamics of materials: binary and ternary phase diagrams, eutectic, monoteptic, peritectic, eutectoid and peritectoid mixtures, incongruent fusion, spinodal decomposition, crystallization. Control of extrinsic defects by means of different preparation routes. Massive elastic and viscoelastic properties, tribological properties in terms of wear and friction. Ceramic, dielectric and optical materials.
Prerequisites for admission
Basic knowledge of thermodynamics and vector algebra. These are normally acquired in the Physical Chemistry 1 with Laboratory, Institutions of Mathematics and Numerical Calculus courses of the bachelor's degree in chemistry.
Teaching methods
The course is delivered through lectures. Questions and interventions from students are encouraged. Lecture notes are made available to students through the e-learning platforms available at Unimi (for example, MyARIEL).
Teaching Resources
J. F. Nye - Physical Properties of Crystals; Oxford Science Publications, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1985
Yu. I. Sirotin, M. O. Shaskolskaya - Fundamental of Crystal Physics; MIR publishing, Moscow, 1982
R. M. A. Roque-Malherbe - The Physical Chemistry of Materials; CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, 2010
D. Tabor - Gases, liquids and solids; Penguin Library of Physical Sciences, 1989
Class slides, lecture notes
Yu. I. Sirotin, M. O. Shaskolskaya - Fundamental of Crystal Physics; MIR publishing, Moscow, 1982
R. M. A. Roque-Malherbe - The Physical Chemistry of Materials; CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, 2010
D. Tabor - Gases, liquids and solids; Penguin Library of Physical Sciences, 1989
Class slides, lecture notes
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an oral interview, during which students will answer questions aimed at probing their preparation on specific topics, their ability to reason, connect different issues and solve problems. To this end, some simple case studies from Literature may also be proposed by the instructors and solved with their guidance. The evaluation will take place on a scale out of thirty and the exam is considered passed if the student achieves a sufficient evaluation (minimum 18/30) in both parts. Exceptional performances will be rewarded with an honorable mention (30/30 cum laude).
