Chemistry Education and Research

Materials Chemistry

Materials Chemistry is the section of Materials Science and Engineering that investigates the chemical nature of materials. This is a fast-growing and highly interdisciplinary area with very flexible boundaries. The diverse nature of materials arises from their atomic composition and their complex molecular structures, which are organised over many different length scales. The resulting intricate micro- and nanostructures lead to striking physical properties, such as electrical, optical and mechanical behaviour, which are of both scientific and technological importance. Such materials range from the everyday (concrete, glass, aluminium) to those used in aerospace, microelectronics and medicine.