Materials science is a field that is now almost half a century old, yet it is not always clear what it entails, and what are the skills of those who practice it. Defining what a materials scientist is is not straightforward. In a previous blog post, some key characteristics of a materials scientist are presented. However, conversation among the bloggers of Materials Connect highlighted that some of these characteristics were more specific to the topic at stake, namely porous materials.
Since this blog is driven by early-career researchers in materials science, we are forming a representative pool of people to describe the richness and diversity of the community. Below, our bloggers share some of their research activities, discoveries, and interests. As a reader of our blog (thank you!), we hope that you will find these posts interesting thanks to the experience shared, the topics covered, and the overall excitement about materials research.
######## Laura Leay, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
What is your name and research field?
Laura Leay. Nuclear waste and radiation science, specifically how the nuclear waste evolves under its own radiation field over timescales relevant to disposal (hundreds of thousands of years).
What excites you the most in materials science?
That we have the ability to consider individual atoms and understand how they affect the macroscale properties of the material; that we can use this information to build intricate things such as semiconductor devices or design materials that can withstand extreme environments such as deep space or the heart of a nuclear reactor. Our knowledge can be used to push technology forward and do amazing things.
What are the 3 skills that you think are the most useful in materials science?
(i) Understanding the limitations of our current knowledge. This can be tricky as there is such a large body of knowledge and there are always fine details that may be difficult to describe. For example, geopolymers are being considered for the immobilization of some nuclear waste. These cementitious materials have been researched for decades and there is a complex interplay between the mix of components (alumina, silica, alkali and water) that leads to different properties of the material. One of my favorite papers on this topic looks at the effect of structural water on cracking, and uses a very particular definition of structural water, based on the observations made during their study.
(ii) Creativity. To push knowledge forward we need to build on it and come up with something new. In my post that inspired this collaborative post I talk about the evolution of adsorption science for understanding porosity and I think that there are many other examples of one set of experiments that are inspired by previous work.
(iii) Communication. If you create new knowledge and no one knows about it, does it even count? Publishing manuscripts in journals is the traditional method of doing this while blogs and videos are effective ways of presenting information in an engaging way. Discussions at conferences are also very useful. Here are two examples:
- I’m a relatively new investigator in the field of radiation effects in nuclear waste and, at a previous MRS meeting, I’ve met Bill Weber, an expert in the field. His insights have been invaluable and I’ve since written one review paper while discussions that draw on his in-depth knowledge is helpful in designing experiments for future manuscripts. Talking to the public is also very useful.
- I recently volunteered at the BlueDot science festival and the questions I was asked about nuclear waste really made me think hard about the importance of my work and what the key outcomes are. As a result, my research is more focused.
Laura sitting at her bench (credit: Laura Leay). The picture depicts the plurality of the research, with characterization tools in the background (scanning electron microscope on the left and optical microscope on the right), preparation or synthesis tools (micropipets, powders, etc.), theoretical understanding (a reference book on the bench, a white board leaning on the wall in the back). All lengthscales of materials are also present: nanometer with the electron microscope, micro- and millimeter with the optical one, and centimeter and beyond with the specimen.
######## Keroles B. Riad, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada
What is your name and research field?
My name is Keroles B. Riad, a Ph.D. candidate and a public scholar at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. I have multidisciplinary research interests. Fundamentally, I make new materials for stereolithography 3D printing. So I am interested in 3D printing as a process using light to photo cure resin into three-dimensional shapes, and its materials. There are two main projects I am working on: 1) photocuring epoxy with quantum dots with a high bandgap energy in order for the 3D-printed parts to be insensitive to sunlight, and 2) photocuring graphene oxide liquid crystals to make stronger photocurable 3D-printed parts. I started with working on the organic chemistry, polymer and catalysis points of view to prove that semiconducting nanoparticles can indeed photocure epoxy. Then, I learned about nanotechnology and flame synthesis to make the quantum dots that I need. Finally, I am also learning about graphene and liquid crystals more broadly.
What excites you the most in materials science?
Discovery! I love that even though I have clear objectives for my exploration, I am always stumbling into discovering something new that is unrelated to my objectives but is scientifically impactful. A clear example is when I was trying to make quantum dots using flame spray pyrolysis, I discovered a monoclinic crystal structure that was never observed before in flame-made titania (published here). Flame-made monoclinic titania had little to do with my original objective, but it is important because nanoparticle properties are governed by crystal structure.
What are the 3 skills that you think are the most useful in materials science?
(i) Child-level curiosity: A challenge I have had trying to conduct experimental research intertwining so many disciplines is that there is no way for me to be an “expert” in all of those disciplines. In fact, I am convinced it takes more time than a PhD to become a true expert in any one of those disciplines I am juggling. Thus, I always have unanswered basic questions. I think it is critical to keep asking those basic questions in spite of fear of looking silly, and challenge the answers you receive. My first paper is based on work I have done as a bachelor student trying to learn about polymers. It is a direct result of asking silly basic questions, and challenging what I have been learning.
(ii) Child-level stubbornness: there is a saying that goes along the lines of “when you put your mind to something, the entire universe conspires to make it happen.” That is absolutely not the case with research - hardly anything works the way you think it will. Certainly, not the first time. An example is my first four months research internship at ETH Zürich trying to make the quantum dots I need via flame. I tried so many combinations and materials in the first three months and a half without ever getting close to the bandgap energy that I need. I only succeeded two weeks prior to the end of my internship. I frantically spent the last two weeks making as much of it as possible to take back to my university in Canada.
(iii) Child-level willingness to fail: I make a clear distinction between research and development. It is easy to conflate the two, particularly in engineering. You simply cannot do truly original research if you are unwilling to risk catastrophic failure. In the conception of every project I have worked on, others have given me many completely legitimate reasons why what I am trying to do is impossible. Sometimes they were right and I failed, and sometimes I proved them wrong. My most recent paper on photopolymerization of epoxy with semiconducting nanoparticles is a clear example of original research that was faced by a lot of legitimate skepticism at conception.
Nanocomposite containing graphene liquid crystals (credit: Keroles Riad).
######## Tomojit Chowdhury, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
What is your name and research field?
I am Tomojit (Tom), a Materials Chemistry graduate student at the Johns Hopkins University, U.S.A. My field of research is solid state materials chemistry. Specifically, I am interested in the chemistry and physics of dimensionally restricted solid state materials (also known as low-dimensional materials), which manifest dramatic changes in their chemical and physical properties when the material dimension approaches the wavelength of an electron. Currently, I am exploring the morphology- and dimension-dependent optical/electronic properties of inorganic two-dimensional (2D) crystals towards developing new tools in optoelectronics and quantum device studies.
What excites you the most in materials science?
To me, the beauty of materials science lies in the close-knit interactions between three major disciplines – physics, chemistry, and engineering. Out of the numerous compelling facades of materials science, I find light-matter interaction as the most exciting phenomenon. This has motivated me to take up graduate research focused on the light-matter interactions in low-dimensional materials. I have been seeking the answer to the key question of how the morphology and dimensionality of atomically thin 2D crystals influence their light-emitting behavior. To address this question, I use various synthetic and fabrication tools to grow high-quality atomic crystals, and subsequently utilize micro/spectroscopic techniques to examine their optical and electrical transport properties. In a recent study, we demonstrated that growth substrate plays a pivotal role in transforming the structure and dimensionality of 2D atomic crystals revealing distinctive optical characteristics.
What are the 3 skills that you think are the most useful in materials science?
Considering the highly interdisciplinary flavor of materials science, I find the following skills to be the most critical ones in the practice of this field. They are (i) crystal growth - for obtaining high-quality materials, (ii) analytical characterization - to examine the structure, composition, properties of the materials, and (iii) theoretical tools - to explain emerging material phenomena. I endeavor to utilize these skills in my own graduate research while preparing myself for the next stages of scientific research. Designer crystal growth is of paramount importance where different crystal morphologies can be explored and manipulated by implementing specialized synthetic techniques that are critical to the realization of new crystal growth mechanisms. Equally important, development of analytical tools to investigate new materials phases, dimensions, physical/chemical properties is central to the observation of emergent phenomena, such as topological, correlated effects. Finally, advanced theoretical methods/models, such as quantum simulations, molecular dynamics algorithms are essential in order to explain new physical and chemical characteristics emanating from the materials, therefore validating experimental observations through the axioms driven from fundamental science.
Enjoy reading some of the most recent cool discoveries concerning crystal growth, analytical tools, and materials theory!
Top left: A hot-wall gas phase reactor used to grow nanomaterials. The radiance indicates a high temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in progress!
Top right and bottom left: Activities inside the optical/optoelectronic labs.
Bottom right: Most important, a coffee break!
######## Hortense Le Ferrand, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
What is your name and research field?
Hortense Le Ferrand, doing research on additive manufacturing technology to fabricate and design structural and multifunctional composites.
What excites you the most in materials science?
I take inspiration in natural materials because they provide examples of how to make amazingly complex and functional structures using weak and common elements. I really love the multidisciplinary aspect of the field, where one advance in biology might push research in characterization by highlighting new questions, or the capabilities now available via 3D printing or microfluidics but requiring new understanding of basic phenomenon. The potential applicability of our research to the everyday life is the cream of the crop.
What are the 3 skills that you think are the most useful in materials science?
(i) Being able to talk multiple scientific languages. Indeed, materials scientists are multidisciplinary and like or need to converse with researchers in biology, physics, computational modelling, etc. Each community has its own specific jargon but most materials scientists are multi-jargon-al and can collaborate with diverse fields. For example, I learned that the concept of being small is drastically different between mechanical engineers for whom 10 cm is small, and biologists, for whom small is sub-micrometric or what cannot be seen by optical or confocal microscopy.
(ii) Getting a holistic sense of what are the important parameters in an experiment, and what are external influences. For example, when testing a hydrogel in tensile mode, it is critical not only to have the correct testing design following ASTM standards, but also to control the humidity and temperature. The results from an experiment are therefore definitively related to the conditions of the testing.
(iii) Being humble but creative. I believe it is crucial to be aware that materials and materials development began in the Prehistoric period and that an amazing lot has been done since. However, there is much more to learn, as exemplified with the discovery of new chemical elements in the 18th century, and more recently of new phenomena such as shape-memory ceramics, multiferroic materials, etc. and this calls for creativity to use old and recent knowledge to create materials that can have impacts in our society.
Materials science links experiments, characterization and modelling. This is a picture of my lab showing a combination of organization with lists of chemicals, boxes and ordered benches. But it also shows entropy and mess with many pill glasses, samples and tools, suggesting more experiments to come. (credit: Hortense Le Ferrand)
######## Christos E. Athanasiou, Brown University, Providence, USA
What is your name and research field?
Christos E. Athanasiou, postdoctoral research associate at Brown University. I am developing functional ceramic nanocomposites for battery and structural applications. To do that, I am using a blend of old (mechanics) and new (machine learning) engineering tools.
What excites you the most in materials science?
I find fascinating the ability to combine physics, chemistry, and engineering to develop materials with unique properties. What else could be more exciting than creating materials with mechanical, electrical, chemical properties, or a combination of them, that do not exist in nature?
What are the 3 skills that you think are the most useful in materials science?
(i) Being able to work with ultra-bright people who are willing to change the world: I strongly believe that one of the perks of academic life is the ability to work with fearless people who wish to make their mark. For example, at Brown University I work with a remarkably clever and passionate scholar who is not afraid to think out of the box and learn new things. The result of our collaborative work is a deep learning method which we expect to revolutionize the field of mechanical testing at small scales [see here].
(ii) Learning to be rational, analytical, and creative: At universities one can clearly distinguish two types of researchers: the ones that come up with new ideas every day and the ones that investigate in-depth the same problem for decades. The multidisciplinarity of the materials science field requires people who can discover a balance between their analytical and creative thinking. And eventually these are the ones who drive innovation. As an example you can check out the work of Prof. ABC (where ABC should be chosen by you!) who has studied in-depth ceramics, metals, nanocomposites etc. using a combination of traditional and novel methods.
(iii) Learning how to earn and live with less than your computer science colleagues where computer science can be replaced with other trendy science topics [joke].
Image of ceramic nanocomposite electrolyte ready to get sintered via electrical flash method. This photo demonstrates that state-of-the-art results do not always require state-of-the-art setups. (credit: Christos Athanasiou).
#### Bharati Neelamraju, University of Arizona, Tuscon, USA
What is your name and research field?
Bharati Neelamraju, PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Arizona. My PhD work has been in the field of organic electronics, in particular on understanding the doping and degradation mechanism of organic semiconductors using a combination of spectroscopies, scattering techniques, electrical and electrochemical measurements. Currently working as a postdoc in Micron Technology Inc.
What excites you the most in materials science?
The most exciting thing about materials science is its interdisciplinary nature of work. You need to understand physics-chemistry (biology for some areas!) and engineering simultaneously. It is a highly collaborative environment where you need to learn how to work with different people in addition to different scientific backgrounds.
What are the 3 skills that you think are the most useful in materials science?
(i) Ability to talk and think in many languages: Science majors think we are engineers while engineers think we are scientists! Being able to talk and think in both languages, I believe, is important for materials science and engineering majors where science drives engineering and vice versa. For example when looking at chemical/physical mechanisms, there is a tendency to run yourself into a rabbit hole; in those times, putting your engineer hat on (as my advisor always said) helps bring the chemistry/physics back into perspective.
(ii) Collaborative attitude and time management: Materials science is highly collaborative. It is very important to be able to work effectively with other labs and teams. While you need to keep your work a priority, you are also running samples for other projects you support. It’s easy to miss deadlines where you are only supporting and not the lead. Vice versa you also need to push other teams to make sure your work is done on time. These are some soft skills I believe are very important for materials scientists. Also always acknowledge and give credit where credit is due!
(iii) The growth mindset: I think continuous learning is something that is very important in this field because you are solving problems from various angles. Having a growth mindset means you are always willing to learn and find creative ways of solving problems rather than depending solely on your innate strengths (This could be the industry talking :P )
Top: Bahrati presenting her work at a conference. Bottom left: Bahrati in front of a thin film vacuum deposition chamber holding a thin film sample of phthalocyanine. Bottom right: Right image is a field effect transistor used for electron mobility measurements. (credit: Bahrati Neelamraju)
#### Gargi Joshi, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Ishikawa, Japan
What is your name and research field?
Gargi Joshi
- Ph.D. in Materials Science
- Postdoctoral researcher at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
- My research interests gravitate around bioinspiration, specifically self-assembly of biopolymers.
What excites you the most in materials science?
The boundless possibilities and design schemes. A complex structural hierarchy manifests everywhere in nature based upon the simplest of building blocks. Deciphering it takes creative intelligence to an entirely different level.
What are the 3 skills that you think are the most useful in materials science?
(i) Planning & Multitasking
The entire process of research work, experimentation, analysis, data compilation, discussion and so on, needs plenty of patience and belief. It all starts from a hypothesis followed by a marathon to justify it. Instead of just running experiments over and over again, I focus on immediately examining as well as organizing the data. This proves beneficial in planning the next step accordingly and saves a lot of time.
(ii) Constructive criticism and Scientific logic
Although we put our heart and soul into the research work, prejudice cannot dominate while writing a manuscript. By actively being a part of the review addressal phases in all my co-authored manuscripts, I gained a lot of experience in scientifically tackling the questions and comments. Moreover, having an open mind to different perspectives should be simultaneously inculcated if someone wants to be in the research field. Taking part in discussion with people working on different topics has helped me evolve my approach and practical thinking.
(iii) Imagination
Sketching my ideas on paper and arguing with myself to reach a logical conclusion is my favorite part. Before writing or discussing anything, I pen down my thoughts roughly and conceptualize the overall research. It stimulates my mind to focus on the finer details that I might have missed. Eventually, using illustrative tools to design the theme improves the final manuscript aesthetically.
Living and working in an International community helps me develop multiple skills. (credit: Gargi Joshi).
