2011 Advanced Materials Research Review

Additional Information

Few fields can claim to have such widespread impact as materials science. Rational materials design is attractive because it promises to avoid time-consuming synthesis and testing of an overwhelming number of materials candidates. But increasingly complex challenges have caused increasing questions for the approach. Combinatorial and high-throughput (CHT) experimentation in materials science has begun to emerge in 2011 as a potential step ahead for material design, and can be seen most visibly in the DOE Battery material testing facility, unveiled as a scientific community resource.

Graphene continues to generate both large headlines and significant funding. Photonic crystals have re-emerged as a powerful new tool, and might in photo medicine applications enable a new class of devices. In short, materials are becoming smarter, more useful, and more widespread.