OBJECTIVE
The AMUtech Institute offers a doctoral program that aims to provide a solid understanding of nanomaterials and their singular properties, with an emphasis on phenomena that emerge at nanometric scales. The ambition is to give participants a solid, cross-disciplinary vision of the field, providing them with the scientific foundations and current research issues.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Designed to be cross-disciplinary and accessible, the program welcomes physicists, chemists and engineers, with no specific prerequisites. It is primarily aimed at PhD students wishing to consolidate their knowledge or broaden their field of expertise. It is also open to Master's students, as well as engineers and researchers wishing to deepen or update their expertise in nanomaterials.
TARGET COMPETENCIES
At the end of the course, participants will be able to grasp the basic concepts that give nanomaterials and nanostructured materials their new properties, and then use this knowledge to guide choices in manufacturing, characterization and technological applications.
ORGANIZATION
The program is structured in two complementary parts.
Part I: Nanomaterials, description and properties
This introductory section presents the fundamentals of nanomaterials through two complementary subsections.
I/ Introduction to nanomaterial properties (7h)
This section deals with the surfaces, interfaces and characteristic properties of nano-objects. The aim is to provide a clear and accessible understanding of the physical and chemical mechanisms that emerge at the nanoscale. In particular, we will show how, at these dimensions, the properties of a material no longer depend solely on its composition or atomic structure, but also on its size, shape and surface/volume ratio.
COURSES IN 2026 (CAMPUS SAINT JEROME - MARSEILLE)
I.1/ Surfaces and interfaces
Pierre MÜLLER - Wednesday February 18, 2026, room 1 Étoile Nord (ex EGIM) VP, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
I.2/ Properties and characteristic lengths
Pierre MÜLLER - Wednesday February 18, 2026, salle 1 Étoile Nord (ex EGIM) VP, 10:30am to 12:30pm
I.3/ Size effects on mechanical, thermodynamic, optical, electronic, magnetic, chemical and transport properties
Frédéric LEROY - Monday, March 2, 2026, salle 1 Étoile Nord (ex EGIM) VP, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
II/ Nanostructured materials (8h)
The second section is devoted to materials characterized by their nanostructuring. These objects may be macroscopic but have properties modified by their volume or surface structuring. The case of low-dimensional materials, for which the concepts of volume and surface are no longer relevant, will be addressed.
COURSES IN 2026 (CAMPUS SAINT JEROME - MARSEILLE)
II.1/ Metamaterials
Nicolas BONOD - Thursday March 12, 2026, room 1 Étoile Nord (ex EGIM) VP, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
II.2/ Porous materials
Isabelle Beurroies - Tuesday, March 17, 2026, room 1 Étoile Nord (ex EGIM) VP, 10:15am to 12:15pm
II.3/ Molecular assemblies on surfaces
Thomas LEONI - Wednesday, March 25, 2026, room 1 Étoile Nord (ex EGIM) VP, 2:00 to 4:00 pm
II.4/ 2D, 1D, 0D materials
Thierry ANGOT - Thursday, March 26, 2026, salle 1 Étoile Nord (ex EGIM) VP, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Registration for doctoral students is via ADUM.
Master's students, engineers and researchers can register by contacting us at: amutech-contact@univ-amu.fr
Part 2: Nanofabrication and nano-engineering
This part deals with approaches to nanomaterial manufacturing and integration, and also comprises two sections:
I. Nano-fabrication methods (8 h)
II. Nano-engineering and integration (7 h)
