Chem 548
Materials Chemistry
Fall 2026
Basic Info
Lecturer: Benjamin J. Wiley,
Email: Benjamin.wiley@duke.edu
Lecture place: Biological Sciences 063
Lecture time: MoWe 8:30 AM-9:45 AM
Class Dates: 08-24-26 to 11-24-26 (last class meeting Mon 11-23-26)
Class holidays: 09-07-26 (Labor Day); 10-12-26 (Fall Break — begins Fri 10-09 7:00 PM, classes resume Wed 10-14 8:30 AM)
Course Description
Chem 548 will introduce the student to the fundamentals of materials chemistry. Topics that will be covered include: crystal structure, defects, phases, bonding, electronic band structure as well as other select topics. The method of instruction will include a mixture of lecture and working through problems.
Learning Objectives
This course will help you to understand the relationship between the structure of a material and its properties.
Course Materials
This course uses Solid State Materials Chemistry by Woodward, Karen, Evans, and Vogt.
Course Website:
Canvas — Fall 2026 CHEM 548 course page (TBD).
Course Recordings:
Duke Panopto — Fall 2026 CHEM 548 folder (TBD).
Grading
There will be two multiple choice exams. Each one will be 50% of your grade.
Rough Class Schedule:
| Lec. | Date | Topic & Focus | Reading (SSMC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mon 08/24/2026 | Ch.1: course overview & logistics; translational symmetry, lattices, and unit cells. | Ch.1 §§1.1.1–1.1.4, pp. 2–8. |
| 2 | Wed 08/26/2026 | Ch.1: point symmetry elements, point groups, and the seven crystal systems. | Ch.1 §1.1.1, §§1.1.2–1.1.3. |
| 3 | Mon 08/31/2026 | Ch.1: space groups — lattices, glide planes, and screw axes. | Ch.1 §§1.1.4–1.1.7. |
| 4 | Wed 09/02/2026 | Ch.1: Wyckoff sites and representing crystal structures. | Ch.1 §1.1.8, §§1.4.1–1.4.2. |
| — | Mon 09/07/2026 | No class — Labor Day (Duke) | — |
| 5 | Wed 09/09/2026 | Ch.1: electron counting — the octet rule, the generalized 8−N rule, Zintl phases, and stoichiometry constraints. | Ch.1 §1.3, §1.5.6. |
| 6 | Mon 09/14/2026 | Ch.1: network topology, silicates, and microporous solids. | Ch.1 §§1.4.3–1.4.4, §§1.5.4–1.5.5; Ch.14 §14.4. |
| 7 | Wed 09/16/2026 | Ch.1: ternary structures — spinel, garnet, and perovskites. | Ch.1 §1.5. |
| 8 | Mon 09/21/2026 | Ch.2/Ch.3: intrinsic and extrinsic point defects. | Ch.2 §§2.1–2.6; Ch.3 §3.1. |
| 9 | Wed 09/23/2026 | Ch.4: solid solutions, Vegard’s law, and binary phase diagrams. | Ch.2 §2.5. |
| 10 | Mon 09/28/2026 | Ch.4: ternary phase diagrams and the lever rule. | Ch.4 §§4.2–4.3. |
| 11 | Wed 09/30/2026 | Ch.5: ionic bonding and lattice energy. | Ch.5 §5.1. |
| 12 | Mon 10/05/2026 | Exam 1 review / practice test. | — |
| 13 | Wed 10/07/2026 | Exam 1 (MC): Chapters 1–5 | — |
| — | Mon 10/12/2026 | No class — Fall Break (Duke); classes resume Wed 10/14 | — |
| 14 | Wed 10/14/2026 | Ch.5: atomic orbitals and molecular orbital theory. | Ch.5 §§5.2–5.3. |
| 15 | Mon 10/19/2026 | Ch.5: molecular orbital theory and Jahn–Teller distortions. | Ch.5 §5.3. |
| 16 | Wed 10/21/2026 | Ch.5: bond valence method. | Ch.5 §§5.3.9–5.3.10, §5.4. |
| 17 | Mon 10/26/2026 | Ch.6: 1D band structures and Bloch functions. | Ch.6 §§6.1–6.2. |
| 18 | Wed 10/28/2026 | Ch.6: reciprocal space and 2D band structures. | Ch.6 §§6.4–6.5. |
| 19 | Mon 11/02/2026 | Ch.6: graphene and 3D band structures. | Ch.6 §6.4.2, §§6.5–6.6. |
| 20 | Wed 11/04/2026 | Ch.6/Ch.10: transition-metal oxide band structures; intro to conductivity. | Ch.6; Ch.10 §10.1. |
| 21 | Mon 11/09/2026 | Ch.10: electrical conductivity — Drude/free-electron model and Fermi–Dirac. | Ch.10 §10.2. |
| 22 | Wed 11/11/2026 | Ch.10: semiconductors and transition-metal conductivity. | Ch.10 §§10.2–10.4. |
| 23 | Mon 11/16/2026 | Ch.10: organic conductors and carbon nanotubes. | Ch.10 §§10.5–10.6. |
| 24 | Wed 11/18/2026 | Ch.12: superconductors — BCS, electron–phonon coupling, and cuprates. | Ch.12; Ch.9 §§9.2–9.3. |
| 25 | Mon 11/23/2026 | Exam 2 (MC): Chapters 6, 10, 12 (band structure, conductivity, superconductivity) — last day of class | — |