Plastic Electronic Materials

A key part of the training is this 12-month MRes, which provides a thorough foundation in the science and application of plastic electronic materials.

The MRes course also offers practical training in diverse areas including microscopy, printing and processing, device fabrication and molecular modelling.

Visiting industrial lecturers will teach advanced courses in the state-of-the-art methods and technology. You also have the option to develop the MRes project as an entrepreneurship exercise.

Participating departments are Physics, Chemistry and Materials at Imperial and the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Queen Mary, University of London.

The course begins in the first term (October-December) with a fixed lecture programme of core courses, which will be followed up in the second term (January-March) with advanced courses and one elective course. Each core lecture module is compulsory and the material covered is examined in January. The core courses, along with the elective courses, address the demand for the breadth of knowledge that we aim to cover.

There are four core compulsory lecture courses in the first term delivered by lecturers from the participating departments at Imperial College.

1. Molecular and polymer chemistry (Prof. Iain McCulloch, Prof Martin Heeney, from Chemistry)
2. Materials science applied to macromolecular materials   (Prof Natalie Stingelin, Dr Sandrine Heutz from Materials)
3. Molecular physics, optoelectronic processes and modelling (Prof. Jenny Nelson, Dr Ji-Seon Kim  from Physics) 
4. Device physics and applications of electroactive materials (Dr Alasdair Campbell, Prof Thomas Anthopoulos, Dr Piers Barnes  from Physics)

Advanced Courses

There are two advanced courses ran during the second term, Structural, optical and electrical characterisation of molecular materials and Design and processing of molecular materials.

Practical Workshops

A distinctive feature of the MRes are the practical workshops, each one often running over several days. These tailored courses are organised in conjunction with, and frequently hosted by industrial partners of the CDT. The courses offered will be confirmed during the year, but are likely to include:

• Design and processing of molecular materials
• Structural, optical and electrical characterisation
• Safety, chemical handling and laboratory techniques
• Imaging and advanced measurement of molecular electronic materials
• Polymer processing
• High volume printing
• Device fabrication
• Molecular modelling

The MRes course is open to graduates with at least an upper second class (2:1) honours degree in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related disciplines, or an equivalent overseas qualification.

Tuition fees (2015–2016):

• Home/EU Full-time — £14,000
• Overseas Full-time — £29,000