This page summarizes the structure and goals of the class labs, and presents the background notes for most experiments.
Lab Structure and Goals
The class of typically 50 students is divided into six lab groups. During each lab week, six separate 4-hour experiments run simultaneously, grouped into three topical themes. Each lab group conducts 1 of the 2 experiments grouped under each theme (α, β, γ). Hence, each lab group will perform 3 experiments per lab week, totaling to 12 experimental sessions of 4-hours each over the course of the semester.
Each lab experiment is designed to give students first-hand experience with the concepts developed in the lecture subject 3.012. In addition, students gain familiarity with common tools for materials characterization, including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning probe microscopy (AFM/STM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV/Vis, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS).
To prepare for specific labs, students are provided with background notes tailored to the experiment to be conducted. The notes, linked in the table below, provide background information and suggest supplementary readings, but do not generally detail the specific experiments to be conducted, or the procedures involved.
Students are responsible for recording procedure, data, data analysis in their laboratory notebooks, and build their formal laboratory reports based on these recordings.
Grading Approach for Lab Notebooks (PDF)
| THEMES | TOPICS | EXPERIMENTS | VIDEOS AND PHOTOS | INSTRUCTORS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lab Week 1 | ||||
| α Amorphous Polymers | α1 Polymer Structures | XRD and DSC Studies of Acrylates Polymers (PDF) | Dr. Meri Treska | |
| α2 Polymer Conformation | Dynamic Light Scattering Study of Polymer Chain Dimensions (PDF) | Prof. Francesco Stellacci | ||
| β Glass Materials | β1 Structure of Borate Glasses (Part 1) | Tg and Raman Spectra of Borate Glasses (notes unavailable) | Photos: Melting and Drawing Fibers of Borate Glass | Prof. Linn Hobbs & Mr. Dilan A. Seneviratne |
| β2 Structure of Borate Glasses (Part 2) | XRD, RDF and Speed of Sound in Borate Glasses (notes unavailable) | Prof. Linn Hobbs & Mr. Benjamin Hardy Wunsch | ||
| γ Quantifying Thermodynamic Properties of Materials | γ1 Thermal Energy Storage | DSC Study of Lauric/Stereatic Acid Mixtures as Phase Change Materials (PDF) | Video: (MP4 ‑ 211 MB) | Dr. Geetha P. Berera |
| γ2 Magnetic Work | Work Derived from Magnetic Hysteresis Curves (PDF) | Prof. Silvija Gradecak | ||
| Lab Week 2 | ||||
| α Quantifying Thermodynamic Properties | α1 Liquid Crystal | Switching Energy for a Liquid Crystal Display (PDF) | Prof. Silvija Gradecak | |
| α2 Mechanical Work | AFM/DSC Study of Protein Denaturation (PDF) | Mr. Benjamin Hardy Wunsch | ||
| β Crystalline Structures | β1 Radius Ratios in Ionic Crystals | XRD Study of Piezo- and Ferroelectric Oxide Structures (PDF) | Prof. Francesco Stellacci | |
| β2 Crystal Polymorphs | XRD Study of Cubictetragonal Transition in Perovskites (PDF) | Dr. Geetha P. Berera | ||
| γ Diffraction Principles | γ1 Derivative Structures |
XRD of Crystals with Covalent, Ionic and Metallic Bonds (PDF) Background Notes on Diffraction of Materials (PDF) | Dr. Meri Treska | |
| γ2 Laser Diffraction |
Diffraction of Crystalline and Amorphous Arrangements of Dots (PDF) Background Notes on Diffraction of Materials (PDF) | Video: (MP4 ‑ 251 MB) | Prof. Linn Hobbs | |
| Lab Week 3 | ||||
| α Materials as "Particle in a Box" Models | α1 F-centers | X-Ray Generation and Optical Studies of Alkali Halide F-centers (PDF) | Mr. Benjamin Hardy Wunsch | |
| α2 Quantum Dots | Synthesis and Optical Study of CdSe Quantum Dots (PDF) | Video: (MP4 ‑ 75 MB) | Prof. Francesco Stellacci | |
| β Visualizing Gibbs Free Energy | β1 Batteries | OCV of Pb-Acid Batteries (PDF) | Dr. Geetha P. Berera | |
| β2 Corrosion | Anodic Corrosion and EMF Series (PDF) | Prof. Linn Hobbs | ||
| γ Phase Transitions | γ1 Phase Separation | Cloud Point Study of Polystyrene/Methyl Cyclohexane (PDF) | Dr. Meri Treska | |
| γ2 Ferromagnetic Transitions | VSM study of Curie Temperatures (PDF) | Prof. Silvija Gradecak | ||
| Lab Week 4 | ||||
| α Bonds and Wavefunctions | α1 Electron Wavefunctions | Visualizing Electron Wavefunctions in Au, Graphite and SAMs (PDF) | Prof. Silvija Gradecak | |
| α2 Delocalization | Optical Characterization of Band Gap in Benzene, Anthracene, Pantacene, C60 (PDF) | Mr. Benjamin Hardy Wunsch | ||
| β Vibration in Materials | β1 Phonon Curves | FTIR from Oligomers to Polymers; Ball and String Model (PDF) | Prof. Francesco Stellacci | |
| β2 Mechanical Strength and Vibrations | Young Modulus and Speed of Sound in Borate Glasses (PDF) | Video: (MP4 ‑ 255 MB) | Prof. Linn Hobbs | |
| γ Phase Diagrams | γ1 Eutectics | Eutectic Determination of an Organic Transistor Material (PDF) | Dr. Geetha P. Berera | |
| γ2 Order Disorder Transitions | X-ray Diffraction Study of Ordering in CoPt (PDF) | Dr. Meri Treska | ||