Fundamentals of Soft Matter

0.5 Unit · Graduate

This course, designed for first-year graduate students in materials science and related disciplines, covers the fundamentals and mechanics of soft materials. The first half of the course describes assembly mechanisms that lead to soft materials of interest, including amphiphilic assemblies in various topologies, molecular electrolytes in bulk and at interfaces, polymer blends and solutions, colloids and nanoparticles in suspensions and in aggregates, and biological and biomimetic gels. The second half of the course builds on understanding these assemblies to explore mechanics of soft materials, emphasizing polymeric materials. This includes deformation, large strains, contact mechanics, fracture mechanics, yield, and time-dependent behavior.