| Scope |
Interfaces play a key role in microstructure evolution of polycrystals and complex material systems. Many engineering properties are dominated by interfacial properties, e.g. mechanical properties that depend on the grain boundary structure. For electronic materials, grain boundaries and interfaces significantly affect charge carrier mobility. In most ceramic systems, interfaces include a charged core with an adjacent space charge, posing a significant challenge for use of ionic conductors in applications such as fuel cells and batteries.
This symposium invites contributions addressing the thermodynamics, kinetics, and structure of interfaces, and the resulting microstructural evolution and material properties. These fundamental questions require contributions that address issues at various length scales, both experimental and theoretical. Of interest are the fundamentals of interface structure, chemistry, space charge, evolution and properties in functional settings such as batteries, fuel cells, ferroelectrics, photovoltaics, catalysts, and sensors during processing or operation.
Topics of this symposium include but are not limited to:
• Thermodynamic vs. kinetic stability of interfaces
• Thermodynamics and kinetics of microstructural evolution, including wetting, sintering, grain growth, and other morphological changes
• Theory, modeling, and informatics methodology for predicting interface structure and structure-property relations across length and time scales
• Advanced characterization techniques applied to interfaces
• Fundamentals of space charge, e.g. segregation, adsorption, electronic structures
• Impact of interfaces on applications, including, but not limited to: ionic conductors, catalysis, composites, and sensors |