The following article is based on an edited transcript of the Turnbull Lecture presented by Jim Chelikowsky (University of Minnesota), recipient of the 2001 Materials Research Society David Turnbull Lectureship, at the 2001 MRS Fall Meeting on November 27 in Boston. Chelikowsky was cited for “contributions to the fundamental understanding of electronic, optical, mechanical, surface, and interface properties of bulk and nanostructured semiconductors, ceramics, and metals through ab initio calculations; and for excellence in teaching, lecturing, and writing.”

The following article is based on the MRS Medal talk by Norm Bartelt (Sandia National Laboratories, California), presented at the 2001 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting on November 29 in Boston. Bartelt received the Medal for his “contributions to the statistical mechanics of materials surfaces.” A long-standing goal of materials science research has been to predict the long-term evolution of the microstructure of materials from a knowledge of atomic processes. This is usually extremely difficult to do in any detail because of the large number of atomic processes to consider, many of which are poorly understood. On solid surfaces, however, progress in the prediction of microstructural evolution can now be made because of advances in real-time microscopy that allow the characterization of the time evolution of microstructure in unprecedented detail. These observations directly reveal the complex relationships between collective thermal fluctuations on atomic scales and deterministic behavior on macroscopic scales. In this presentation, attempts to construct models of these observations are discussed.

The following article is an edited transcript based on the MRS Medal presentation given by C. Mathew Mate of IBM Almaden Research Center on November 29, 2001, at the Materials Research Society Fall Meeting in Boston. Mate received the Medal for his “pioneering studies of friction at the atomic and molecular levels.” This presentation describes some of his efforts at understanding friction at the atomic level. The starting point for the author was the invention of the friction force microscope and the first observation of atomic-scale friction in 1987. Soon afterward came other applications of force microscopy, leading toward a greater understanding of friction, lubrication, and wear. These studies also have had an impact on the understanding of lubricant films in disk drives and are now aiding the development of nanoscale devices such as the “molecular raft,” an 8-Å-thick island of squalane floating on a thicker squalane film that could potentially be used to transport nanoscale objects.

Proteins are nature's workhorses. They enable living systems to use available energy sources and convert energy from one form into another. Understanding the underlying design principles of how proteins have evolved to fulfill the necessary functions of life can provide researchers with new insights into how to enhance the performance of synthetic nanosystems with far greater sophistication. This review summarizes the relationship between various protein functions and the underlying engineering principles of their overall structures. For example, proteins can specifically recognize other biomolecules with a selectivity and affinity several orders of magnitude superior to their synthetic counterparts. Mimicking a protein binding site with a structurally fixed synthetic analogue is insufficient, since structural changes in the active sites enhance molecular recognition and the catalytic activity of proteins. Recent data also show that protein function can be switched by stretching proteins into nonequilibrium states under physiological conditions. Schemes by which the exposure and structure of recognition sites are switched can be implemented in the design of mechanically responsive synthetic and hybrid systems. Motor proteins, finally, are the jewel in nature's crown, as they can convert one free-energy form into another to generate mechanical force. It is thus of considerable interest to integrate the chemically powered engines into synthetic materials and devices. Finally, we have to advance our ability to assemble nanocomponents into functional systems. Again, lessons can be learned from how biology solves the challenge of systems integration.

A class of steels (ultrahigh-carbon steels, or UHCSs) containing high levels of carbon (i.e., ∼1–2 wt%) were originally developed for their superplastic characteristics. In combination with excellent room-temperature properties, the steels were developed for their commercial potential starting in the mid-1970s and continuing to the present time. The compositional similarities between these modern steels and ancient Damascus steels led to a revisiting of the history and metallurgy of Damascus and related steels. Also, as part of the development of UHCSs, modern laminated composites containing them have been designed and manufactured that have unique toughness characteristics. These laminated composites also have similarities to a range of laminated materials of historical interest. Finally, some comments are made on the utility of radiocarbon dating to determine the age of ancient irons and steels. Ten sidebars supplement this article as Web Extras on the MRS Bulletin Web site at www.mrs.org/publications/bulletin/2002/dec/.