Materials Science

This course emphasizes hands-on laboratory experience and teaches students research background, relevant theories, and basic laboratory techniques relevant to their field of study. Students formulate a research plan, implement it by conducting experiment-based research, and convey the results in scholarly presentations. Students submit a written research report at the end of the course.

The Individual Research Training Senior (IRT Senior) Course is an advanced course of the Individual Research Training B (IRT B) course in the Tohoku University Junior Year Program in English (JYPE) in the spring semester. Though short-term international exchange students are not degree candidates at Tohoku University, a similar experience is offered by special arrangement. Students are required to submit: an abstract concerning the results of their IRT Senior project, a paper (A4, 20-30 pages) on their research at the end of the exchange term, and an oral presentation on the results of their IRT Senior project near the end of the　term.

This course offers a general overview of nanoscience and nanotechnology and their social, economic, and ethical implications. It discusses the main application fields of nanomaterials and how their introduction into a myriad of products is changing and shaping our lives. Other topics include: consumer perception towards nanotechnology-based products; the main investment areas in nanotechnology at the worldwide level; associated risks, ethical issues, and misconceptions.

This course examines the details of fiber structures, its properties, and the origin of major textile fibers. It covers the chemical and physical behaviors of fibers, including their optical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Students also learn terminologies, classification, and processing methods of important classes of textile materials: yarns, woven, knit, and nonwoven fabrics. This course defines terminology related to common textiles and fibers, analyzes the influence of fiber chemistry on fiber morphology and physical properties, and covers how to apply simple mathematical models, quantify, and analyze the physical properties of textile fibers.

This course reviews electric, magnetic, optic, and thermal properties of materials from a view point of classic mechanics and quantum mechanics.

The properties of material are dependent on the composition and atomic arrangement resulted from the atomic bonding. In this course, the atomic arrangement with long range order is explained by using lattice, unit cell, symmetry, crystal system, point group, and space group. The crystal structure is presented geometrically and applied to crystal compound. Topics include Crystalline state, Symmetry, Point groups, Space groups and Application to crystal system. 

This course will cover electrochemical/material engineering and recent energy applications such as batteries, fuel cells, electrodepositions, and corrosions. The course builds on electrochemistry and its application to energy devices. Emphasis is placed on the fundamental concepts related to electrochemistry, understanding electrochemical cells, corrosion and prevention, and various energy storage/conversion devices.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on the principles of chemistry and how they apply to the behavior of solid states. Special attention is placed on electronic structure, chemical bonding, and crystal structure. The course discusses topics including amorphous and crystalline solids, symmetry, lattices, and silicates; bonding in solids, ionic solids, the role of ion size, Shannon-Prewitt model for ions, transition metal compounds and non-bonding electron effects, crystal field theory, and band model for metals and semiconductors; crystal defects and non-stoichiometry, role of point defects in diffusion in solids, ionic conductivity, and some important solid-state electrolytes for batteries and fuel cells; catalysts for polymer production: radical initiators, Ziegler-Natta and metallocene catalyst in polyolefin production, branching in polyethylenes: origin and influence on polymer properties, and catalysts for step-growth polymerization: transition metals in polyester production; biobased and/or biodegradable polymers: production, properties, and main applications; chemisorption and activation on transition metals, interaction models based on HOMO-LUMO, and examples of relevant industrial applications: CO activation; carbon based materials, conducting polymers, structure, and properties, materials for secondary Li-based batteries, anodes, cathodes, and electrolytes, Li-ion vs Li metal batteries, fuel cells, materials for anodes, cathodes, electrolytes, and bipolar plates, proton conducting polymers for fuel cells electrolytes, fullerenes and fullerides, synthesis and properties, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and their application in polymer nanocomposites; and layered solids, layered double hydroxides, clays, and their modification to improve the compatibility with polymers, preparation of polymer nanocomposites using organoclays, flame retardant properties of LDH and organoclay based polymer nanocomposites.