Research notes and practical ideas
Notes & writing
Clear notes on materials research, DFT, scientific writing and building useful academic tools.
- Seven lessons from making chitosan/MXene filmsWhat our UV-shielding chitosan/MXene packaging films taught me about dispersion, oxidation, casting and choosing a loading, written for anyone about to make their first MXene composite.
- From raw XRD data to answers: a step-by-step guide for beginnersThe structured workflow I could not find when I first opened a raw diffractogram: what the machine actually gives you, how to clean it, identify phases, and calculate d-spacing, crystallite size and strain, with a worked example and a Python script.
- Your first band structure in VASP: a walkthrough for chemical engineersThe four calculations behind every band structure plot, each input file explained line by line, the quantum mechanics you actually need, and the mistakes that cost me weeks.