Ateneo - UPO

The course is divided into two part, as described below.
Part A (Physical-chemistry of materials) Classification of materials and their properties. Solid state: properties and classification of solids. Characterization techniques of the materials. Nanomaterials and nanotechnology.
Part B (Catalysis): heterogeneous catalysis, reaction mechanisms in the gas phase. Solids used in the heterogeneous catalysis and examples of industrial applications.

Slides provided by the teacher.
J. I. Gersten, F. W. Smith, “The Physics and Chemistry of Materials”, Wiley
P. Atkins, J de Paula “Physical Chemistry”, Zanichelli.
Chorkendorff, J. W. Niemantsverdriet, “Concepts of Modern Catalysis and Kinetics Masters”, Wiley-VCH.
S. David Jackson and Justin S.J. Hargreaves, “Metal Oxide Catalysis”, Wiley-VCH D.

The course aims to provide elements of physical-chemistry of materials and heterogeneous catalysis, with particular reference to nanomaterials and the industrial use of catalysts.
The course will allow to students to develop communicative skills by acquiring an appropriate vocabulary in relation to the discussed topics. The course also aims to develop the ability to learn independently and the critical meaning that allows the student to draw conclusions on discussed topics.
It is expected that this activity will also be able to increase students' judgment skills through a thorough analysis of recent scientific literature.
The course also aims to develop the ability to learn independently and the critical sense that allows the student to draw conclusions on issues related to the topics covered.
Finally, the aim of the course will also be to test the ability to learn and apply knowledge through the preparation of a graphical abstract related to the design of a material.

Knowledge of the topics of Physical Chemistry I and II

The course includes frontal lessons in the classroom where the treated topics will be presented and discussed with the students.
The autonomy of judgment and the ability to learn will be taught through the request for the preparation of a graphical abstract, a project through which the students will have to exploit what they learned in the course and their independence of judgment to design a material for a particular application ( catalysis, drug delivery, optical imaging, etc.).

The in itinere learning will be controlled by the execution of exercises in which the students have to show their knowledge in the design of materials with applications as catalysis, drug delivery and optical imaging.

At the end of the course each student is asked to elaborate a graphical abstract related to the design of a material for a particular application (catalysis, drug delivery, optical imaging, etc.). The final exam will be based on the oral discussion for the verification of learning the topics addressed in class. 5 questions will be asked about the program of the course to evaluate the ability to learn and understand and 1 question about the presentation of the graphical abstract in order to evaluate the autonomy of judgment and the critical sense. The student's skills will be evaluated in the use of the tools provided in the lessons to be able to design materials with special chemical functions for different types of applications and in the choice of the various techniques of characterization of materials.

Part A (Physical Chemistry of the Materials). Classification of materials and their properties. Bonding in solids. Solid state: properties and classification of solids. Structural characterization of materials: XRD and electron microscopies (SEM and HRTEM with EDX). Mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic and optical properties of the materials. The surface of the materials and surface characterization techniques (Auger spectroscopy, XPS, UPS, X-ray fluorescence). Nano-materials and porous nano-materials: how the properties of the materials change as a function of the dimensions. Different porous materials and organic-inorganic hybrids will be examined with particular attention to the synthetic procedures and to the applications in several technological fields (heterogeneous catalysis, drug delivery and optical imaging).
Students will also be provided with the elements to prepare a graphical abstract related to the design of a material for a particular application (catalysis, drug delivery, optical imaging, etc.).

Knowledge and understanding: knowledge of the fundamental aspects of chemical-physical properties of porous or hybrid; structure-properties relationship in solid materials and catalysts nanomaterials.
Applying knowledge and understanding: ability to choose the most suitable physica.-chemical characterization method, depending on the type of nanosystem proposed.
A collegial discussion will be proposed of the topics covered in class and in the final exam the ability to apply knowledge and understanding will be evaluated through theoretical questions.
Communication skills: Acquire and know how to use an appropriate vocabulary in relation to the topics and techniques discussed in the course. To be able to discuss the topics of the course at the final exam with an appropriate language.
Making judgements: understand and analyse critically recent literature covering the topics of the course.
Learning skills: ability to use the teaching material for a critical and reasoned study, also for a subsequent autonomous acquisition of superior knowledge and for a continuous updating.
The autonomy of judgment and the ability to learn will be evaluated mainly through the presentation and discussion of the graphical abstract related to the design of a material.