William T. Petuskey is a professor in the School of Molecular Sciences, an associate vice president of science, engineering and technology in Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development, and an affiliate member of the School of Engineering Matter, Transport and Energy (SEMTE) at Arizona State University. He received his doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in ceramic science after carrying out research on atomic and defect transport in transition metal oxides. He then carried out fundamental research on ionic transport in molten silicates as a postdoctoral research associate of Professor Hermann Schmalzried at the Technischen Universität Hannover, West Germany (now the Universität Hannover). He was appointed assistant professor of ceramic engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1978 where he continued his research on mass transport in materials under the action of chemical, mechanical and thermal driving forces. He joined ASU's Department of Chemistry in 1983. Over the course of years, he served as assistant chairman, associate chairman and chairman of the department. Moreover, he served as the director of the Science and Engineering of Materials interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program, which he helped establish, and is now part of SEMTE.
His research interests are in the physics, chemistry and application of materials, especially those characterized as technical ceramics. His research includes the physical chemistry and application of hard and soft materials under extreme conditions of temperature and chemical environments, discovery of new functional materials recovered from high pressure, the design of complex oxide glasses as precursors for nano crystalline ceramic-matrix-composites, and the synthesis and properties of nano crystalline ferroic and magnetic oxides for electrical, optical and communication device applications. He is currently working on the synthesis and properties of magnetic nanoferrites via low temperature, particulate self assembly strategies.
My research group focuses on the physical chemistry of ceramics, glasses and wide band-gap semiconductors. We seek to find new compounds, or modifications of known materials, with special properties suitable for electronic, optic, electrochemical and mechanical applications. The approach is to design new materials by manipulating both crystal chemistry and microstructure of solids. A wide variety of synthetic techniques are employed, ranging from the soft chemical approaches of solution and vapor chemistry to the hard chemical approaches of extreme temperatures and pressures.
The manipulation of microstructures implies the introduction and control of grain boundaries and phase boundaries, which often impart radically different physical properties to solids than would have been expected of single crystals. Taken to the extreme of nanoscaled organization, we are developing “soft-ceramics” that combine high temperature stability in oxidizing and corrosive environments with mechanical toughness. To achieve this, one project investigates the crystal chemical alteration of layered perovskites to produce mica-like materials that are stable to greater than 1500°C, but yet can be easily machined into complex shapes. Another project is devoted to investigating the chemistry of very high temperature glasses as precursors to forming ductile-like nanocomposites. Paradoxically, this is achieved by developing finely divided microstructures of two brittle solids.
With respect to electronic materials, we are investigating the chemistry of icosahedral boride compounds for use as wide bandgap semiconductor materials. Beginning with our early work on B12O2 that produced elegant icosahedral morphologies of individual grains (as shown), we have expanded our research to examine the physical and chemical properties of other compositions of the general formula fo B12X 2, where X is typically a main group element. Another project focuses on the thermochemistry and phase chemistry of electroceramics that are targeted for use in piezoelectric, ferroelastic and optical transducers. The importance of this work relates to controlling the crystal growth of complex oxides.
Spring 2021 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
MSE 792 | Research |
MSE 799 | Dissertation |
Fall 2020 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
MSE 330 | Thermodynamics of Materials |
CHM 494 | Special Topics |
MSE 524 | Advanced Thermodynamics |
CHM 541 | Advanced Thermodynamics |
CHM 598 | Special Topics |
MSE 792 | Research |
MSE 799 | Dissertation |
Summer 2020 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
MSE 792 | Research |
Spring 2020 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
CHM 341 | Elementary Physical Chemistry |
MSE 792 | Research |
MSE 799 | Dissertation |
Fall 2019 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
CHM 494 | Special Topics |
CHM 598 | Special Topics |
MSE 792 | Research |
MSE 799 | Dissertation |
Summer 2019 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
MSE 792 | Research |
Spring 2019 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
CHM 341 | Elementary Physical Chemistry |
MSE 792 | Research |
MSE 799 | Dissertation |
Fall 2018 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
CHM 494 | Special Topics |
CHM 598 | Special Topics |
MSE 792 | Research |
MSE 799 | Dissertation |
Summer 2018 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
MSE 792 | Research |
Spring 2018 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
CHM 341 | Elementary Physical Chemistry |
MSE 792 | Research |
MSE 799 | Dissertation |
Fall 2017 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
MSE 524 | Advanced Thermodynamics |
CHM 541 | Advanced Thermodynamics |
MSE 792 | Research |
MSE 799 | Dissertation |
Summer 2017 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
MSE 792 | Research |
Spring 2017 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
CHM 341 | Elementary Physical Chemistry |
MSE 792 | Research |
MSE 799 | Dissertation |
Fall 2016 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
MSE 524 | Advanced Thermodynamics |
CHM 541 | Advanced Thermodynamics |
MSE 792 | Research |
MSE 799 | Dissertation |
Summer 2016 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
MSE 792 | Research |