Active Materials

What are active materials? This book aims to introduce and redefine conceptions of matter by considering materials as entities that ‘sense’ and respond to their environment. By examining the modeling of, the experiments on, and the construction of these materials, and by developing a theory of their structure, their collective activity, and their functionality, this volume identifies and develops a novel scientific approach to active materials. Moreover, essays on the history and philosophy of metallurgy, chemistry, biology, and materials science provide these various approaches to active materials with a historical and cultural context. The interviews with experts from the natural sciences included in this volume develop new understandings of ‘active matter’ and active materials in relation to a range of research objects and from the perspective of different scientific disciplines, including biology, physics, chemistry, and materials science. These insights are complemented by contributions on the activity of matter and materials from the humanities and the design field. Discusses the mechanisms of active materials and their various conceptualizations in materials science. Redefines conceptions of active materials through interviews with experts from the natural sciences. Contextualizes, historizes, and reflects on different notions of matter/materials and activity through contributions from the humanities. A highly interdisciplinary approach to a cutting-edge research topic, with contributions from both the sciences and the humanities.

This book covers biodevices, mainly implantable or quirurgical, for the diagnosis or treatment of different pathologies, which benefit from the use of active materials as sensors or actuators. Such active or "intelligent" materials are capable of responding in a controlled way to different external physical or chemical stimuli by changing some of their properties. These materials can be used to design and develop sensors, actuators, and multifunctional systems with a large number of applications for developing biodevices and medical appliances. Current work on these fields entails problems related to synthesis, characterization, modeling, simulation, processing, and prototyping technologies, as well as device testing and validation, all of which are treated in depth in this book, for the several types of active or intelligent materials covered. The research presented in this book helps further development of medical devices, based on the additional functionalities that the use of active or "intelligent" materials, both as sensors and actuators, supplies. The main results exposed may help with the industrial expansion of this kind of materials as part of more complex systems.

The field of composite materials has seen substantial development in the past decade, New composite systems are being continually developed for various applications. Among such systems are metal, intermetallic, and superalloy matrix composites, carbon-carbon composites as well as polymer matrix composites. At the same time, a new discipline has emerged of active or smart materials, which are often constructed as composite or heterogeneous media and structures. One unifying theme in these diverse systems is the influence that uncoupled and coupled eigenfields or transformation fields exert on the various types of overall response, as well as on the respective phase responses. Problems of this kind are currently considered by different groups which may not always appreciate the similarities of the problems involved. The purpose of the IUTAM Symposium on Transformation Problems in Composite and Active Materials held in Cairo, Egypt from March 10 to 12, 1997 was to bring together representatives of the different groups so that they may interact and explore common aspects of these seemingly different problem areas. New directions in micromechanics research in both composite and active materials were also explored in the symposium. Specifically, invited lectures in the areas of inelastic behavior of composite materials, shape memory effects, functionally graded materials, transformation problems in composite structures, and adaptive structures were delivered and discussed during the three-day meeting. This book contains the printed contributions to the IUTAM Symposium.

What are active materials? This book aims to introduce and redefine conceptions of matter by considering materials as entities that ‘sense’ and respond to their environment. By examining the modeling of, the experiments on, and the construction of these materials, and by developing a theory of their structure, their collective activity, and their functionality, this volume identifies and develops a novel scientific approach to active materials. Moreover, essays on the history and philosophy of metallurgy, chemistry, biology, and materials science provide these various approaches to active materials with a historical and cultural context. The interviews with experts from the natural sciences included in this volume develop new understandings of ‘active matter’ and active materials in relation to a range of research objects and from the perspective of different scientific disciplines, including biology, physics, chemistry, and materials science. These insights are complemented by contributions on the activity of matter and materials from the humanities and the design field. Discusses the mechanisms of active materials and their various conceptualizations in materials science. Redefines conceptions of active materials through interviews with experts from the natural sciences. Contextualizes, historizes, and reflects on different notions of matter/materials and activity through contributions from the humanities. A highly interdisciplinary approach to a cutting-edge research topic, with contributions from both the sciences and the humanities.

Chaired by K Wüthrich (Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2002) and co-chaired by B Weckhuysen, this by-invitation-only conference has gathered 39 participants — who are leaders in the field of computational modeling and its applications in Chemistry, Material Sciences and Biology. Highlights of the Conference Proceedings are short, prepared statements by all the participants and the records of lively discussions on the current and future perspectives in the field of computational modeling, from chemistry to materials to biology.

Mimicking nature's efficiency and sustainability in organic chemistry is a major goal for future chemists; redox reactions are a key element in a variety of fields ranging from synthesis and catalysis to materials chemistry and analytical applications. Sustainability is increasingly becoming a consideration in synthesis and functional chemistry and an essential element for the next generation of chemistry in academia and industry. This book represents a compilation of the latest advancements in functional redox chemistry and demonstrates its importance in achieving a more sustainable future. This book is an ideal companion for any postgraduate students or researchers interested in sustainability in academia and industry.

This brief deals with various forms of supercapacitors starting from traditional carbon based supercapacitors to advanced next generation hybrid supercapacitors. The primary focus is to investigate the successive evolution in the core components of a typical supercapacitor which will bring significant observations regarding their feasibility and overall impact on the charge storage capacity so as to reach at par with the current battery technology. The authors present a critical review of the current collectors, electrode materials and electrolytic components which have distinctive impact on both the power and energy density of a supercapacitor. Emerging trends in the fabrication of hybrid supercapacitor technology bring together the exceptional power density of a double layer capacitor and energy density of a rechargeable battery, which promises a brighter future for the electrical energy storage system.