Synthesis and Characterization of Advanced Materials (1984)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has recognized the importance of familiarizing undergraduates with the principles of solid-state chemistry. Accordingly, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT has instituted an optional course, primarily for freshmen, entitled “Introduction to Solid State Chemistry.” Introduction to Materials Sciences and Engineering, by K.M.Ralls, T.H.Courtney, and J.Wuff (Wiley, New York, 1976) is the primary text used in the course. The syllabus includes the following topics:

1. Atomic spectra and electronic structure

2. The Periodic Table

3. Bonding in solids

4. Crystal structure

5. X-ray crystallography

6. Band structure of solids

7. Defects in solids

8. Nucleation and growth

9. Mechanical properties of solids

10. Fracture

11. Phase transformations

12. Electrochemistry

13. Reaction rates and catalysis

14. Diffusion and oxidation

15. Organic materials, polymers, and ceramics

16. Applications

The enrollment data since the initiation of the course show a generally steady increase in the number of students taking the course:

This course provides an introduction to the chemistry of the solid state, with special emphasis on structure-property relationships. After an intensive review of the atomic and electronic structure of the elements, the concepts of chemical bonding, crystal strucuture, thermodynamics, and kinetics are treated in the context of the reactivity of materials. In the second part of the course, the developed relationships are applied to the study of single-phase and multiphase systems and their behavior in different environments. The systems discussed include metals, glasses, polymers, and electronic materials. Three lectures per week outline the fundamental principles of solid-state chemistry, and in two recitations per week these principles are amplified in more detail and applied to real systems. The recitations, conducted in a seminar style, also provide an opportunity to discuss homework problems. Laboratory visits are organized for the students to obtain an insight into advanced graduate and postgraduate research in chemistry and physics of the solid state.

This course has proven particularly attractive and helpful to students interested in engineering subjects such as electrical, mechanical, and aeronautical engineering. It satisfies the premedical inorganic chemistry requirement. The intensive review of atomic and electronic structure during the first two weeks is intended to bring students with an inadequate chemistry background to a level where they will be able to understand the remainder of the course.