A brief introduction of the historical background of grain boundary engineering for structural and functional polycrystalline materials was presented herewith. It was emphasized that the accumulation of fundamental knowledge about the structure and properties of grain boundaries and interfaces was extensively done by many researchers during the past one century. A new approach in terms of the concept of grain boundary and interface engineering was discussed for the design and development of high performance materials with desirable bulk properties. Recent advancements based upon these concepts clearly demonstrated the high potential and general applicability of grain boundary engineering for various kinds of structural and functional materials. Future prospects of the grain boundary and interface engineering were outlined, hoping that a new dimension will emerge pertaining to the discovery of new materials and the generation of a new property originating from the presence of grain boundaries and interfaces in advanced polycrystalline materials.

Grain Boundary Engineering: Historical Perspective and Future Prospects. T.Watanabe: Journal of Materials Science, 2011, 46[12], 4095-115