MSE 531 Introduction to Soft Materials
This course will serve as an introduction to soft condensed matter (polymers, colloids, liquid crystals, amphiphiles, gels and biomaterials) and will cover general aspects of chemistry, structure, properties and applications with emphasis on chemistry and forces related to molecular self-assembly. Topical coverage will include: 1) kinetics in materials synthesis, growth and transformation; 2) preparation methods; 3) formation, assembly, phase behavior, and molecular ordering; 4) structure, function, and phase transition of nucleic acids, proteins, polysaccharides and lipids; 5) techniques to characterize structure, phase and dynamics of soft materials and 6) application of soft materials in nanotechnology. Examples illustrate technologically relevant materials in current nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nano-biotechnology, such as block copolymers thin films, colloidal photonic crystals, micelles, vesicles, hydro-gels, photosensitive materials, and materials in soft lithography.