Bücher der Reihe Springer Series in Materials Science

The book covers a variety of studies of organic semiconductors, from fundamental electronic states to device applications, including theoretical studies.

This book describes the fabrication of a frequency-based electronic tongue using a modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE), opening a new field of applying organic precursors to achieve nanostructure growth.

This book reviews the current status of semiconductor materials for conversion of sunlight to electricity, and highlights advances in both basic science and manufacturing.  Photovoltaic (PV) solar electric technology will be a significant contributor to world energy supplies when reliable, efficient PV power products are manufactured in large volumes at low cost.  Expert chapters cover the full range of semiconductor materials for solar-to-electricity conversion, from crystalline silicon and amorphous silicon to cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium sulfide selenides, dye sensitized solar cells, organic solar cells, and environmentally friendly copper zinc tin sulfide selenides. The latest methods for synthesis and characterization of solar cell materials are described, together with techniques for measuring solar cell efficiency. Semiconductor Materials for Solar Photovoltaic Cells presents the current state of the art as well as key details about future strategies to increase the efficiency and reduce costs, with particular focus on how to reduce the gap between laboratory scale efficiency and commercial module efficiency. This book will aid materials scientists and engineers in identifying research priorities to fulfill energy needs, and will also enable researchers to understand novel semiconductor materials that are emerging in the solar market. This integrated approach also gives science and engineering students a sense of the excitement and relevance of materials science in the development of novel semiconductor materials.·         Provides a comprehensive introduction to solar PV cell materials ·         Reviews current and future status of solar cells with respect to cost and efficiency ·         Covers the full range of solar cell materials, from silicon and thin films to dye sensitized and organic solar cells ·         Offers an in-depth account of thesemiconductor material strategies and directions for further research ·         Features detailed tables on the world leaders in efficiency demonstrations ·         Edited by scientists with experience in both research and industry

This book presents cutting-edge concepts, paradigms, and research highlights in the field of computational materials science and engineering, and provides a fresh, up-to-date perspective on solving present and future materials challenges.

This book gives an overview of the physics of Heusler compounds ranging from fundamental properties of these alloys to their applications. Especially Heusler compounds as half-metallic ferromagnetic and topological insulators are important in condensed matter science due to their potential in magnetism and as materials for energy conversion.

This book presents the general concepts of self-organized spatio-temporal ordering processes. The questions addressed embrace a broad spectrum of complex nonlinear phenomena, ranging from self-assembling near the thermodynamical equilibrium to dissipative structure formation far from equilibrium.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in group III-nitride based ultraviolet LED and laser technologies, covering different substrate approaches, a review of optical, electronic and structural properties of InAlGaN materials as well as various optoelectronic components.

This book presents the current knowledge about nonlinear localized travelling excitations in crystals. It is followed by about 18 chapters from world leaders in the field, reviewing different aspects, materials and methods including experiments, molecular dynamics and theory and also presenting the latest results.

In this book we focus on oligomeric/molecular films as we believe that the control of molecular structures and interfaces provides highly defined systems which allow, on the one hand the study of the basic physics and on the other hand to find the important parameters necessary to improve organic devices.

This book provides an up-to-date review of nanometer-scale magnetism and focuses on the investigation of the basic properties of magnetic nanostructures.

This book presents extensive information on the mechanisms of epitaxial growth in III-nitride compounds, drawing on a state-of-the-art computational approach that combines ab initio calculations, empirical interatomic potentials, and Monte Carlo simulations to do so.

This book systematizes data on the heterophase states and their evolution in perovskite-type ferroelectric solid solutions.

material science, defect engineering, device processing, defect and device characterization, and device physics and engineering.

This book is devoted to the systematic description of the role of microgeometry of modern piezo-active composites in the formation of their piezoelectric sensitivity.

This book is intended as an introductory lecture in material physics, in which the modern computational group theory and the electronic structure calculation are in collaboration. The first part explains how to use computer algebra for applications in solid-state simulation, based on the GAP computer algebra package.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental properties, preparation routes and applications of a novel class of organic-inorganic nanocomposites known as periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs).Mesoporous silicas are amorphous inorganic materials which have silicon and oxygen atoms in their framework with pore size ranging from 2 to 50 nm. They can be synthesized from surfactants as templates for the polycondensation of various silicon sources such as tetraalkoxysilane. In general, mesoporous silica materials possess high surface areas, tunable pore diameters, high pore volumes and well uniformly organized porosity. The stable chemical property and the variable ability for chemical modification makes them ideal for many applications such as drug carrier, sensor, separation, catalyst, and adsorbent. Among such mesoporous silicas, in 1999, three groups in Canada, Germany, and Japan independently developed a novel class of organic-inorganic nanocomposites known as periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs). The organic functional groups in the frameworks of these solids allow tuning of their surface properties and modification of the bulk properties of the material.The book discusses the properties of PMOs, their preparation, different functionalities and morphology, before going on to applications in fields such as catalysis, drug delivery, sensing, optics, electronic devices, environmental applications (gas sensing and gas adsorption), biomolecule adsorption and chromatography. The book provides fundamental understanding of PMOs and their advanced applications for general materials chemists and is an excellent guide to these promising novel materials for graduate students majoring in chemical engineering, chemistry, polymer science and materials science and engineering.

Certain industrial sectors, such as magnetic sensors, microelectronics, and security, demand cost-effective materials with reduced dimensionality and desirable magnetic properties such as enhanced magnetic softness, giant magnetic field sensitivity, and large magnetocaloric effect.

This book provides expert coverage of modern and novel aspects of the study of vortex matter, dynamics, and pinning in nanostructured and multi-component superconductors. Vortex matter in superconducting materials is a field of enormous beauty and intellectual challenge, which began with the theoretical prediction of vortices by A. Abrikosov (Nobel Laureate). Vortices, vortex dynamics, and pinning are key features in many of today's human endeavors: from the huge superconducting accelerating magnets and detectors at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, which opened new windows of knowledge on the universe, to the tiny superconducting transceivers using Rapid Single Flux Quanta, which have opened a revolutionary means of communication.In recent years, two new features have added to the intrinsic beauty and complexity of the subject: nanostructured/nanoengineered superconductors, and the discovery of a range of new materials showing multi-component (multi-gap) superconductivity. In this book, leading researchers survey the most exciting and important recent developments in the field. Topics covered include: the use of scanning Hall probe microscopy to visualize interactions of a single vortex with pinning centers; Magneto-Optical Imaging for investigating what vortex avalanches are, why they appear, and how they can be controlled; and the vortex interactions responsible for the second magnetization peak. Other chapters discuss nanoengineered pinning centers of vortices for improved current-carrying capabilities, current anisotropy in cryomagnetic devices in relation to the pinning landscape, and the new physics associated with the discovery of new superconducting materials with multi-component superconductivity. The book offers something for almost everybody interested in the field: from experimental techniques to visualize vortices and study their dynamics, to a state-of-the-art theoretical microscopic approach to multicomponent superconductivity.

This book explains different magnetic resonance (MR) techniques and uses different combinations of these techniques to analyze defects in semiconductors and nanostructures. It also introduces novelties such as single defects MR and electron-paramagnetic-resonance-based methods: electron spin echo, electrically detected magnetic resonance, optically detected magnetic resonance and electron-nuclear double resonance ¿ the designated tools for investigating the structural and spin properties of condensed systems, living matter, nanostructures and nanobiotechnology objects. Further, the authors address problems existing in semiconductor and nanotechnology sciences that can be resolved using MR, and discuss past, current and future applications of MR, with a focus on advances in MR methods. The book is intended for researchers in MR studies of semiconductors and nanostructures wanting a comprehensive review of what has been done in their own and related fields of study, as well asfuture perspectives.

This book coversa broad range of materials science that has been brought to bear on providingsolutions to the challenges of developing self-healing and protective coatingsfor a range of metals. The book has a strong emphasis on characterisationtechniques, particularly new techniques that are beginning to be used in thecoatings area. It features many contributions written by experts from variousindustrial sectors which examine the needs of the sectors and the state of theart.The developmentof self-healing and protective coatings has been an expanding field in recentyears and applies a lot of new knowledge gained from other fields as well asother areas of materials science to the development of coatings. It hasborrowed from fields such as the food and pharmaceutical industries who haveused, polymer techniques, sol-gel science and colloidosome technology for arange encapsulation techniques. It has also borrowed from fields like hydrogenstorage such as from the development of hierarchical and other materials basedon organic templating as "nanocontainers" for the delivery of inhibitors. Inmaterials science, recent developments in high throughput and othercharacterisation techniques, such as those available from synchrotrons, arebeing increasing used for novel characterisation - one only needs to look atthe application of these techniques in self healing polymers to gauge wealth ofnew information that has been gained from these techniques.This work islargely driven by the need to replace environmental pollutants and hazardouschemicals that represent risk to humans such as chromate inhibitors which arestill used in some applications.

The book covers recent advances and progress in understanding both the fundamental science of lasers interactions in materials science, as well as a special emphasis on emerging applications enabled by the irradiation of materials by pulsed laser systems.

This book shows the electronic, optical and lattice-vibration properties of the two-dimensional materials which are revealed by the Raman spectroscopy. It consists of eleven chapters covering various Raman spectroscopy techniques (ultralow-frequency, resonant Raman spectroscopy, Raman imaging), different kinds of two-dimensional materials (in-plane isotropy and anisotropy materials, van der Waals heterostructures) and their physical properties (double-resonant theory, surface and interface effect). The topics include the theory origin, experimental phenomenon and advanced techniques in this area. This book is interesting and useful to a wide readership in various fields of condensed matter physics, materials science and engineering.

Processing of polymer nanocomposites usually requires special attention since the resultant structure-micro- and nano-level, is directly influenced by among other factors, polymer/nano-additive chemistry and the processing strategy. This book consolidates knowledge, from fundamental to product development, on polymer nanocomposites processing with special emphasis on the processing-structure-property-performance relationships in a wide range of polymer nanocomposites. Furthermore, this book focuses on emerging processing technologies such as electrospinning, which has very exciting applications ranging from medical to filtration. Additionally, the important role played by the nanoparticles in polymer blends structures has been illustrated in the current book, with special focus on fundamental aspects and properties of nanoparticles migration and interface crossing in immiscible polymer blend nanocomposites.This book introduces readers to nanomaterials and polymer nanocomposites processing. After defining nanoparticles and polymer nanocomposites and discussing environmental aspects, the second chapter focuses on the synthesis and functionalization of nanomaterials with applications in polymers. A brief overview on nanoclay and nanoclay-containing polymer nanocomposites is provided in third chapter. The fourth chapter provides an overview of the polymer nanocomposites structural elucidation techniques, such as X-ray diffraction and scattering, microscopy and spectroscopy, rheology. The fifth chapter is dedicated to the polymer nanocomposites processing technologies, among which electrospinning, which has very exciting applications ranging from medical to filtration. The last chapter provides an overview on how melt-processing strategy impact structure and mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites by taking polypropylene-clay nanocomposite as a model system. The book is useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students (polymer engineering, materials science & engineering, chemical & process engineering), as well as research & development personnel, engineers, and material scientists.

Processing of polymer nanocomposites usually requires special attention since the resultant structure¿micro- and nano-level, is directly influenced by among other factors, polymer/nano-additive chemistry and the processing strategy. This book consolidates knowledge, from fundamental to product development, on polymer nanocomposites processing with special emphasis on the processing-structure-property-performance relationships in a wide range of polymer nanocomposites. Furthermore, this book focuses on emerging processing technologies such as electrospinning, which has very exciting applications ranging from medical to filtration. Additionally, the important role played by the nanoparticles in polymer blends structures has been illustrated in the current book, with special focus on fundamental aspects and properties of nanoparticles migration and interface crossing in immiscible polymer blend nanocomposites.This book focuses heavily on the processing technologies and strategies and extensively addresses the processing-structure-property-performance relationships in a wide range of polymer nanocomposites, such as commodity polymers (chapter 1), engineering polymers (chapter 2), elastomers (chapter 3), thermosets (chapter 4), biopolymers (chapter 5), polymer blends (chapter 6), and electrospun polymer (chapter 7). The important role played by nanoparticles in polymer blends structures in particular is illustrated.The book is useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students (polymer engineering, materials science & engineering, chemical & process engineering), as well as research & development personnel, engineers, and material scientists.

A perspective is presented that offers a paradigm (codesign loop for materials design) to involve iteratively learning from experiments and calculations to develop materials with optimum properties.

This book provides a state-of-the art overview of a highly interesting emerging research field in solid state physics/nanomaterials science, topological structures in ferroic materials.

This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date description of the Josephson effect, a topic of never-ending interest in both fundamental and applied physics. An important section of the book is also devoted to applications, with focus on long-term, future applications.

This book systematizes data on the heterophase states and their evolution in perovskite-type ferroelectric solid solutions.

This book provides a broad and nuanced overview of the achievements and legacy of Professor William ("Bill") Goddard in the field of computational materials and molecular science.