I think that a few answers here covered the field well. I don't think we can decide what is the most important discovery. In the 1950 there has been a very important dioscovery in the field of steels, namely high strength low alloy steels. In the field of aluminum alloys the development of precipitation hardening alloys had a significant contribution to aerospace materials. Silicon technology (doping, ion implantation) has been instrumental in the field of electronic materials and the development of computers; composite materials of various kinds were also very important for lightweight materials...In short, nanomaterials are late comers into the well developed field of materials engineering. They are not the "most important" but they open new avenues into previously unexplored applications. All materials are important, the world as we know it would not be able to survive even without a simple material like timber. We need steel, copper alloys, aluminum alloys, we need silicon technology, and in my view there cannot be one material that is more important than another.

No doubt that nanomaterial is most fundamental discovery having various societal applications. In my opinion all the research having immediate societal application are important. Even if it is not related with nanomaterials.

Steels

Dwpwnding on the century there are different materials that allowed to make a step forward of the covilization. Steel is a good example. Currently we can say that graphene is one of such materials.

regards

G

I agree. Graphene is in the line.

But steel has a lot of shortcomings that we can overcome by nanomaterial.

Sir ulrich please insight us.

I don't think that without steels we can even imagine the present world, the industrial revolution, skyscrapers, transport etc.

According to this paper, the top 10 advances in the field of Materials Science are:

Article The top ten advances in materials science

• 1. International technology roadmap for semiconductors.
• 2. Scanning probe microscopes.
• 3. Giant magnetoresistive effect.
• 4. Semiconductor lasers and LEDs.
• 5. National nanotechnology initiative.
• 6. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics.
• 7. Materials for Li ion batteries.
• 8. Carbon nanotubes.
• 9. Soft lithography.
• 10. Metamaterials.

Ulrich sir,

It is not like that I said nanomaterial, like a line drawn on stone.

I want to know the opinion of researchers.

It can be any invention depend on interest, geographical area etc.

The most important discovery in materials science is steel that, after hardening, can process steel. A property that is not yet challenged by any other material.

I think steel and nanomaterials could be considered as the most important discoveries

Thanks to all for insight.

I think that a few answers here covered the field well. I don't think we can decide what is the most important discovery. In the 1950 there has been a very important dioscovery in the field of steels, namely high strength low alloy steels. In the field of aluminum alloys the development of precipitation hardening alloys had a significant contribution to aerospace materials. Silicon technology (doping, ion implantation) has been instrumental in the field of electronic materials and the development of computers; composite materials of various kinds were also very important for lightweight materials...In short, nanomaterials are late comers into the well developed field of materials engineering. They are not the "most important" but they open new avenues into previously unexplored applications. All materials are important, the world as we know it would not be able to survive even without a simple material like timber. We need steel, copper alloys, aluminum alloys, we need silicon technology, and in my view there cannot be one material that is more important than another.

Silicon and Steel

I think this question is already curious. It sounds like: Who is the best scientist in the world, which is the most beautiful creature, what is the most beautiful color etc... Material science is already nowadays a wide field...and I would not really like to judge anybodies work. 50 years ago we had certainly claimed plastic, 30 years ago ceramics ect. It turned out later that many discoveries or technologies which have been claimed to be a future material or technology was not that efficient as (often intentionally) proposed. If this would be really a serious approach the majority of scientists would only focus on this topic (more money...:- | ). It happens, and the results are not rarely faked... Depressing examples are pharmaceutic products, cold fusion, diesel scandal...

I think even if we would limit the discovery to steel...the result would be already very controversial.

you are right, Artur , but the essence is the same (to me)...don't you think so?

Evaluation of nanomaterials as "the most important material science discovery" is probably fair if we talk about the last few years only. But we are not the first in this world. To be honest, this nanotechnological hype has already make me tired. Look around you. What do you see? Honestly, nothing nanotech. Or I am so backward? Steel, glass, few kinds of plastic, and even wood. What about "the most important material science discovery"?...

Flint.

Artur Braun " Understanding that materials can be designed, or at least that their function has a physical origin which can be modeled with mathematical accuracy."

It is nice that you believe it :-). The maximum we can do at the moment is to find an acceptable correlation. For some physical observations we are quite close, I agree, but we should show a bit more humbleness regarding the complex nature :-). In so far I would be more careful with expressions like "with mathematical accuracy". You can calculate whatever you want and you can be happy about a fantastic match...but I don't believe that someone would risk to use something which has only be designed instead of tested. All scientists in history were driven by the believe that they can (try to) understand nature. The best examples are chemist who are doing this since discovery of chemical equilibrium. Nevertheless we know that these are ideal conditions as well. We are close...and we are coming closer...not more. But this is OK! How boring it would be if we would know everything :-).

...:-) we know....but in fact we anyway test it (if possible) since we have actually only very strong indication about our models but already one mismatch brings us in big trouble. Incorrect properties and constants, approximations which work (but never perfectly. If I only think about the backscattering approximation of electrons in material which does not even consider the crystal state :-).) Herr Braun, I in fact agree with you, but I would be more careful with ideal formulations. We are happy about every success (and this is absolutely OK)...but we don't KNOW "anything" :-). Look, as we went to school an atom was a core with some electrons around. The core consisted of protons and neutrons. There was nothing else. Would you bet your hand...now...how complex an atom really is and how real our current models of atoms are?

Oh, so interesting! Can I sit in the front row?

Not in this case. In general, I love it when two physicists start arguing about chemistry. It is always fascinating.

Herr Braun,

Flintstone. A material that can be formed into sharp blades using specific knowhow and that can used to make fire. When this hadn't been discovered, I don't know where we would be.

Vadim S. Gorshkov,

to cite my doctoral supervisor (a nuclear chemist...): "Chemistry is a part of physics ... that can not be understood by the physicists." ;-)

Upto my knowledge, i believe the most important discovery in material science is understanding of Interfaces, which governs almost all the properties of materials, including metallic glasses eg. Nanoglass.

However, steel is one of the most used materials on our planet and still a lot of research is going on.

Dear @Erik Strub ! This is wonderful citation. Could you, please, give me a source?

Regards.

I would go with Steel, and now Graphene

Graphane is also a new material

@Erik @ Artur @ Vadim. Does it actually matter if one is Physicist or Chemist or Artist? If that person is working for the betterment of humanity. Knowledge can be gained from any discipline, its the output that matters. Infact most of the successful projects/patents papers are inter-disciplinary. Cheers

@Waqas Hassan Tanveer

It does not matter. But science without fun is like a boys' choir without voice breaks.

@Vadim S. Gorshkov

[1] J. V. Kratz, personal communication.

Material science which involves metals used in bio medical ( titanium and its alloys) .

@Wagas Hassan Tanveer,

physicists will never cease to assert that physics is a science about everything, and the rest is some kind of misunderstanding. (This reminds me one Russian anecdote: the Colonel says to a Scientist, - I don’t understand, if you, guys, are so smart, why don’t you parade by tactical formation?) Chemists will also always fight for the independence of their science. There is an additional interest in each branch of science - relation to other areas of science. We need to think about particulars, but sometimes it is worth remembering about primary problems. On the other hand, we don’t always to talk about these seriously (than to cry, it’s better to laugh), here @Eric Strub is true.

The solid's state LASER is a good one too !

RTM!!!!

Dear Baskhar,

more than 60 years after getting the nobel pice for the principles of the polymer chemistry there is still the vision of Herrrmann Staudinger existing about a nearly endless variety of polymer structures.

Up to now we are missing the realization of these endless variety. Especially the possible combination of anorganic and organic polymers is still not sufficient recognized.

Polymers allow controlled networks of molecules as well as nanostuctural areas with a deep impact on the mechanical and physical properties. Especially the possible approaches for new fiber reinforced lightweight polymers and "organic supercomputers" seems very promising. Nevertheless there are a lot of further options.

see also the white paper of the german association GDCh:

https://www.macrochem.org/fileadmin/positionspapier/White_paper_english.pdf

I think it is time to follow up the fundamentals approaches of Hermann Staudinger to realize all options.

With best regards

Michael

Regarding to the huge electronic technology revolution, I think silicon is most important material discovery. Silicon Valley in US is the best evidence for that.

Every era of the human being evolution is characterized by its material staring from stone age, then bronze, then coal, then petroleum, then radioactive materials, then Semiconductors with the top material is silicon then graphine , and nano materials.

Best wishes

At the beginning of this discussion I mentioned that in my view tehre is no such thing as "the most important material". Silicon is very important, but computers also need other plastics, and the world needs aluminum and copper and steel, and for mobile phones we need Li ion batteries and touch screens, and plastic, and for car we need steel and Al and plastic, and so on. IN other words, try to remove one component from our lives and we will need to invent something else that does the same job...I think this question is similar to the question about the human body: which organ is more important? Heart? Lungs? Liver? or perhaps the skin...Each organ has a role to play, each one is important, so I suggest to decide that this question does not have one answer. That's all I can say on the topic.

Perovskite Structure material

Thanks to all for insight.

The discovery of Graphene in 2014; a single atomic layer of carbon for the first time.

Thanks, Dr Khaled

International technology roadmap for semiconductors.

The invention of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) by Heinrich Rohrer and Gerd Binnig at IBM's Zurich Research Laboratory was deservedly awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1986.

Quickly followed by the atomic force microscope (AFM), this new access to the nanoscale world.

Semiconductor lasers and LEDs

The development of semiconductor lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in 1962 is a great materials science story.

I totally agree with you about the pivotal role that nanomaterials play in the development of various sciences and technologies these days.

Nanomaterials, Graphene

Heusler alloy for spintronic system

The semiconductors as active materials for Electronics. Electronics brought revolutionary and still bring massive social changes. Please think on the information, control and communication technology.

Best wishes

Hi

The active/conductive polymer,i.e., conductive organic-photovailtic like BEDOT:PSS.