Soft Materials

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to soft materials, focusing on natural and synthetic polymers and composites. Students will learn fundamentals of polymer chemistry (synthetic approaches) and polymer physics (thermodynamics, diffusion, viscosity); methods for characterizing/analyzing the structure of polymers in solution and solid state, including laboratory exercises; and approaches to designing polymers with properties for different applications (actuation, 3D printing, robotics, drug delivery). Course focuses on design of soft materials for specific applications and includes reading and discussion of primary literature. The course will be taught at a level suitable for undergraduates in engineering and graduate students in engineering and related fields.