Academics

Programme aim 

The master programme aims to introduce the student to challenging areas of research in an interdisciplinary environment by  

  • providing essential background courses with an emphasis on nanomaterials and synthesis, and 
  • developing the experimental skills necessary to perform competitive research in field of
    • catalysis,
    • colloid science and
    • photonics. 

You can read about these three fields in the drop downs at the end of this page.

The research master Nanomaterials Science

The master's programme Nanomaterials Science is a two year (120 EC) multidisciplinary research master with research in the fields of catalysis, colloid science and nanophotonics. 

Trends and challenges in the field

In the field of functional materials there is a trend to systems that are determined by nanoscopic properties. In nanoscience the building blocks are macromolecules, colloids, nanoparticles, or quantum structures. These can self-assemble into complex architectures like quantum-dot molecules or solids. Quantum size effects play a crucial role in determining the physical and chemical properties. These are studied with optical and electron-tunnelling spectroscopy. 

Challenges in this area include the synthesis of the basic units, their assembly to form new materials showing new functionalities and phenomena and the development of theory needed to understand these effects. Applications are found in the areas of smart materials, devices and sustainability: sensors, solar cells, (opto)electronics, renewable energy storage, and in the biophysics and biomedical fields.

How do we use the Quality Funds at the Faculty of Science?

Because of the introduction of the student loan system in the Netherlands, financial funds became available to enhance the quality of higher education. In 2019 the Faculty of Science received these Quality Funds. Since then, plans have been made on how the money will be used

Are you curious about what these plans are? Then take a look at the overview page about the use of the Quality Funds.

Use of Quality Funds at Faculty of Science