As new methods have become available for understanding and manipulating matter at its most fundamental levels, researchers working in the interdisciplinary field of materials science have been increasingly successful in synthesizing new kinds of materials. Often the goal of researchers in the field is to design materials that incorporate properties that can be useful for performing specific functions. Such materials can, for example, be more chemically stable or resistant to physical breakage, have advantageous electromagnetic characteristics, or react in predictable ways to specific environmental conditions.