https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.09032
Materials chemistry is the scientific discipline that designs, synthesizes, and characterizes materials with particular interest on both their processing and the understanding of useful or potentially useful properties displayed by the materials designed and synthesized for specific applications.
Notes:
- The aspects of design, synthesis, and function (useful or potentially useful properties) are all needed for the topical item of material research/development/production to be part of materials chemistry.
- The keywords "useful" and "properties" emphasize functionality as a major driving force of the practitioners of materials chemistry.
- For a series of further details on both the structure-property relation and functionality by design, read the source.