Advanced materials can be of all material types, e.g. metals, ceramics and polymers.

To obtain advanced materials, properties of traditional materials have been improved, that is
significantly changed in a controlled manner.

Advanced materials include semiconductors, biomaterials as well as smart materials and nano-
engineered materials.

 Smart materials respond to external stimuli, such as stress, temperature, electric or

magnetic fields. By way of example, consider shape memory alloys or shape memory
polymers, which are thermos - responsive materials, where deformation can be induced and
recovered through temperature changes.
 Nano-engineered materials have unique properties. These properties arise from structural
features which are of nanoscale dimensions, i.e. 1 to 100 nanometres. A prominent example
are carbon Nano-tube filled polymers which can be employed as electrically conducting
materials or high performance materials.

Advanced materials are used in high-tech applications for, among others, lasers, integrated circuits,
magnetic information storage, and liquid crystal displays (LCDs). They function in everyday electronic
equipment such as computers, camcorders, or CD/DVD players. But advanced materials also operate
in state-of-the-art devices for spacecraft, aircraft, and military rocketry.

 Due to the structural versatility and wide range of potential applications of advanced
materials, they are being investigated in academic and industrial research laboratories
worldwide, and further developed and optimized for various tasks in industry.

Eisenbach, I. (2011). Advanced Materials. In: English for Materials Science and
Engineering. Vieweg+Teubner. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8348-9955-2_7

1. https://www.ll.mit.edu/news/fiber-barcodes-can-make-clothing-labels-last
2. https://www.ll.mit.edu/about/facilities/defense-fabric-discovery-center
Smart materials are new generation materials surpassing the conventional structural and functional
materials. These materials possess adaptive capabilities to external stimuli, such as loads or
environment, with inherent intelligence.

Materials, which possess the ability to change their physical properties in a specific manner in
response to specific stimulus input.

The stimuli could be pressure, temperature, electric and magnetic fields, chemicals or nuclear
radiation. The associated changeable physical properties could be shape, stiffness, viscosity or
damping.

This kind of ‘smartness’ is generally programmed by material composition, special processing,

introduction of defects or by modifying the microstructure, so as to adapt to the various levels of
stimuli in a controlled fashion.

Smart Materials: Future Applications

Seasoned researchers often share visionary ideas about the future of smart materials in conferences
and seminars. According to Prof. Rogers (Rogers, 1990), following advancements could be possible in
the field of smart materials and structures.

 Materials which can restrain the propagation of cracks by automatically producing

compressive stresses around them (Damage arrest).
 Materials, which can discriminate whether the loading is static or shock and can generate a
large force against shock stresses (Shock absorbers).
 Materials possessing self-repairing capabilities, which can heal damages in due course of
time (Self-healing materials).
 Materials which are usable up to ultra-high temperatures (such as those encountered by
space shuttles when they re-enter the earth’s atmosphere from outer space), by suitably
changing composition through transformation (thermal mitigation).

http://ssdl.iitd.ac.in/vssdl/smart.pdf INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI,

PAPER – SMART STRUCTURES AND MATERIALS
Semiconductors are materials that conduct electricity in
some circumstances but not in others, allowing exceptional
control of electricity and light.

Semiconductors famously power modern electronics and

computing—they’re used to make semiconductor devices,
electronic circuit components that rely on the unique
properties of semiconductors to function. They also form the
foundation of modern lighting, telecommunications, and
sensing technology. Examples of semiconductor materials
include antimony, germanium, gallium arsenide, silicon, and
tellurium.

Uses of Semiconductors
Semiconductors are the foundation of contemporary electronics. They are present in
microcontrollers, integrated chips, diodes, transistors, photosensors, calculators, 3D
printing machines, self-driving cars, solar plates, and other such technological
devices. MOSFET and Transistor -used in electrical circuits as a switch- are also
produced with the help of semiconductors. The physical and chemical characteristics
of semiconductors make them proficient in the creation of tech tools.
Apart from electronics, they help in the working of trains, internet, ATMs and various
other forms of communication. They are even used in the medical system- from
filling of prescriptions to the completion of lab work. Practically, these small
technological wonders support us to make our lives more comfortable.

Consumer electronics: Mobile phones, laptops, games consoles, microwaves and

refrigerators all operate with the use of semiconductor components such as integrated chips,
diodes and transistors.

Semiconductors, sometimes referred to as integrated circuits (ICs) or

microchips, are made from pure elements, typically silicon or germanium,
or compounds such as gallium arsenide. In a process called doping, small
amounts of impurities are added to these pure elements, causing large
changes in the conductivity of the material.

Due to their role in the fabrication of electronic devices, semiconductors are

an important part of our lives. Imagine life without electronic devices. There
would be no smartphones, radios, TVs, computers, video games, or
advanced medical diagnostic equipment.

Without semiconductors, the technology that we count on every day would

not be possible.

 Semiconductors are materials which have a conductivity between

conductors (generally metals) and non-conductors or insulators (such as
ceramics). Semiconductors can be compounds, such as gallium arsenide, or pure
elements, such as germanium or silicon. Physics explains the theories, properties
and mathematical approach related to semiconductors.

Examples of Semiconductors

 Gallium arsenide, germanium and silicon are some of the most commonly
used semiconductors. Silicon is used in electronic circuit fabrication, and
gallium arsenide is used in solar cells, laser diodes, etc.
 Semiconductors can conduct electricity under preferable conditions or
circumstances. This unique property makes it an excellent material to conduct
electricity in a controlled manner as required.
 They are highly portable due to their small size
 They require less input power
 Semiconductor devices are shockproof
 They have a longer lifespan
 They are noise-free while operating

Uses of Semiconductors in Everyday Life

 Temperature sensors are made with semiconductor devices.
 They are used in 3D printing machines
 Used in microchips and self-driving cars
 Used in calculators, solar plates, computers and other electronic devices.

 The physical and chemical properties of semiconductors make them capable

of designing technological wonders like microchips, transistors, LEDs, solar
cells, etc.
 The microprocessor used for controlling the operation of space vehicles,
trains, robots, etc., is made up of transistors and other controlling devices,
which are manufactured by semiconductor materials.
Nanomaterials can occur naturally, be created as the by-products of combustion reactions,
or be produced purposefully through engineering to perform a specialised function. These
materials can have different physical and chemical properties to their bulk-form counterparts.

The healthcare field, for example, utilises nanomaterials in a variety of ways, with
one major use being drug delivery. One example of this process is whereby
nanoparticles are being developed to assist the transportation of chemotherapy
drugs directly to cancerous growths, as well as to deliver drugs to areas of arteries
that are damaged in order to fight cardiovascular disease. Carbon nanotubes are
also being developed in order to be used in processes such as the addition of
antibodies to the nanotubes to create bacteria sensors.

In aerospace, carbon nanotubes can be used in the morphing of aircraft wings. The
nanotubes are used in a composite form to bend in response to the application of an
electric voltage.

In the cosmetics industry, mineral nanoparticles –such as titanium oxide –are used in
sunscreen, due to the poor stability that conventional chemical UV protection offers in the
long-term.
The sports industry has been producing baseball bats that have been made with carbon
nanotubes, making the bats lighter therefore improving their performance.
Nanomaterials have also been developed for use in the military. One example is the use of
mobile pigment nanoparticles being used to produce a better form of camouflage, through
injection of the particles into the material of soldiers’ uniforms. Additionally, the military have
developed sensor systems using nanomaterials, such as titanium dioxide, that can detect
biological agents.
The use of nano-titanium dioxide also extends to use in coatings to form self-cleaning
surfaces, such as those of plastic garden chairs. A sealed film of water is created on the
coating, and any dirt dissolves in the film, after which the next shower will remove the dirt
and essentially clean the chairs.
The properties of nanomaterials, particularly their size
more efficient and cost-effective
Biomaterials play an integral role in medicine today—restoring function and
facilitating healing for people after injury or disease. Biomaterials may be
natural or synthetic and are used in medical applications to support, enhance,
or replace damaged tissue or a biological function. Metals, ceramics, plastic,
glass, and even living cells and tissue all can be used in creating a biomaterial.
They can be reengineered into molded or machined parts, coatings, fibers,
films, foams, and fabrics for use in biomedical products and devices.

 Medical implants, including heart valves, stents, and grafts; artificial

joints, ligaments, and tendons; hearing loss implants; dental implants;
and devices that stimulate nerves.

 Methods to promote healing of human tissues, including sutures,

clips, and staples for wound closure, and dissolvable dressings.

 Regenerated human tissues, using a combination of biomaterial

supports or scaffolds, cells, and bioactive molecules. Examples
include a bone regenerating hydrogel and a lab-grown human bladder.

 Molecular probes and nanoparticles that break through biological

barriers and aid in cancer imaging and therapy at the molecular level.

 Biosensors to detect the presence and amount of specific substances

and to transmit that data. Examples are blood glucose monitoring
devices and brain activity sensors.

 Drug-delivery systems that carry and/or apply drugs to a disease

target. Examples include drug-coated vascular stents and implantable
chemotherapy wafers for cancer patients.