Soft Matter
Type
Core
Course Code
ΜΕΤΥ-503
Teaching Semester
Semester B
ECTS Credits
10
Syllabus
Α. Synthesis
- Poly-condensation polymerization and kinetics
- Free Radical Polymerization, Kinetics
- Ionic and Cationic polymerization
- Controlled Radical Polymerization
- Characterization (NMR, IR, GPC)
Β. Polymer Physics
- Main characteristic of soft matter (length, time and energy scales)
- Fractal concepts, volume fraction, overlap concentration, molecular weight distribution
- Ideal and Real polymer chains (Freely Rotating Chain, Kuhn Chain, Excluded Volume, Solvent quality)
- Thermodynamics of Polymer Solutions
- Deformation, entropic elasticity, relation of characteristic sizes to moduli
- Polymer Dynamics (Rouse, Zimm, Reptation)
- Forces and Interaction in colloidal suspensions, Brownian Motion
- Phase behaviour of Brownian Hard Spheres, Rods and Discs
- Softness: From polymers to Colloids
Learning Outcomes
The aim of the course is to introduce students to fundamental concepts of soft matter synthesis and physics.
The course covers topics such as various synthetic routes for polymers, spectroscopic characterization of polymers and introductory polymer-colloid physics (characteristic sizes and times, thermodynamics and phase behaviour, flow properties of polymers in relation to their processability).
Student Performance Evaluation
The final grade is the result of
- Course participation
- Quiz
- Project
- Final exam