Materials science is an inherently interdisciplinary research field, which involves physics, chemistry, and biology. The research of materials science emphasises understanding a material's structure, and thus its properties and performance, through multiple capabilities ranging from synthesis, processing, and characterisation to theory. As materials are the basic substances that make up all everyday objects, materials science is so important to nearly every aspect of science and technology in human existence and social life.
Owing to the crucial role of materials science, materials science research in Australia is thriving. Over the last 10 years of the research profile of Australia in materials science has bloomed, with staggering academic output. In this special issue, we summarise recent progress in the field of advanced materials and technologies in Australia. 35 research overviews describe a wide range of cuttingâedge topics in materials science, which can be divided into four broad categories: materials for clean energy technologies; nanomaterials; materials for biomedical technologies; and other functional materials. Some articles cover more than one category due to the partial overlap of these categories.
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