Duration
20h Th, 10h Pr
Number of credits
| Master of Science (MSc) in Chemical and Materials Engineering | 3 crédits | |||
| Master of Science (MSc) in Engineering Physics | 3 crédits | |||
| Advanced Master in Nanotechnologies | 3 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This lecture is an introduction to the physical chemistry of nanometer-sized systems.
The following topics are notably covered (chapter titles):
-Size and specific surface area
-Surface energy and the Young-Laplace pressure
-Wettability, barely an introduction
-Intermolecular forces and disjoining pressure
-Gibbs-Thomson effects
-Thermal fluctuations
-Metastability and nucleation
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The aim of this course is to help students understand why nanostructured materials have specific physicochemical properties, which are generally different from chemically-identical macroscopic materials. The focus of the lectures is on the understanding of physical phenomena at a fundamental level. This is achieved through the discussion of simple models, and through order of magnitude evaluations.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
-A course on general physics, including basic mechanics (fluids and solids), electromagnetism.
-A course in general chemistry, including basic thermodynamics and physical chemistry (phase diagrams, etc.).
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Face-to-face lectures and exercises as homework.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
Face-to-face.
Recommended or required readings
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam
Continuous assessment
Additional information:
Continuous assessment:
At the end of each chapter, a short exercise is handed out. The students solve it by groups of 2 or 3, and submit a written solution at the following lecture. The assessment of these exercises amounts to 30% of the final grade.
June session :
Written exam (theory and exercises)
August-september session :
Written exam (theory and exercises)
Work placement(s)
None
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
For any question related to the course organization, students's representatives are welcome to get in touch by email.
For questions concerning specific topics seen in the lectures, I am happy to answer them at the beginning of each lecture. Forums have also been created on eCampus.
Association of one or more MOOCs
Items online
Learning material
All learning material (lecture notes, slides, podcasts, exercises, etc.) are uploaded on eCampus. The lecture notes are uploaded at the beginning of the semester, and the remaining material is uploaded progressively.