Lectures, workshops, or seminars focusing on academic and professional development [Offered: F, W]

Overview of materials, including physical and chemical classification of materials, and structure-property relationships; survey of emerging fields in materials and nanoscience research such as: nanotechnology, quantum materials and devices, bionic research; societal impacts of materials and nanoscience research. [Offered: F]

Overview of materials synthesis, including both wet chemical and dry physical based methodologies; basic metrology and materials characterization of surface and bulk properties; introduction to the design, fabrication, and evaluation of simple devices; survey of emerging new techniques in materials and nanosciences. [Offered: W]

The laboratory course is aimed at students enrolled in the MNS program and is composed of experiments involving the syntheses of materials and nano-particles; in addition to their characterization and application using modern instrumentation techniques. [Offered: W, S]

Crystal structures and bonding in solids; introduction to diffraction, solid state synthesis, and thermal analysis techniques employed in the study of materials; defects, non-stoichiometry, and solid solutions; phase diagrams for solid systems. [Offered: F]

Physical properties of crystalline and amorphous solids; introduction to electric, magnetic and optical properties of solids. [Offered: W, S]

Optical properties of and electrical transport in materials; topics may include insulators, semiconductors, metals, superconductors and their applications in photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, and nanocomposites.[Offered: F]

Basic definitions and polymer nomenclature, chain conformations, phase behaviour of polymer systems, mechanical properties, polymerization, self-assembly, morphologies. [Offered W]

Mechanical, chemical and biological properties of biomaterials; relationships between biomaterials and their properties, functions, manufacture, and applications; applications of biomaterials in technologies, such as tissue engineering, prosthesis manufacture, drug delivery systems, bioreactors. [Offered: W]

Topics in this theme area may include: transistors and semiconducting materials and devices,superconducting materials and superconductivity-based devices (such as Josephson junctions, SQUIDS), effects of low dimensionality and interfaces, quantum dots, magnetoresistance, spintronics, design and synthesis of new materials. (Note: At least one elective course is offered annually in the solid-state materials theme area. For a current list of offerings, see the academic plan advisor). [Offered: W]

Topics in this theme area may include: biomaterials on atomic and nanometre scales in which DNA, RNA, and/or polypeptides are incorporated as components; physical, chemical and biological processes; nanoscale forces, adhesion, indentation; applications, such as nanomotors, nano-biomimetic materials, nanocomposite materials, nano-biosensors. (Note: At least one elective course is offered annually in the Nano-Biomaterials theme area. For a current list of offerings, see the academic plan advisor). [Offered: W]