Polymers, Colloids, Gels, and Active Matter

Catalog description

This course explores the linkage between hierarchical structure, transport, and functional properties of soft materials such as polymers, gels, colloids, and active matter. Soft materials exhibit behavior that spans multiple length and time scales, and a central focus of the course is understanding how multiscale structure gives rise to emergent mechanical, transport, and functional behavior. The course emphasizes structure-property-function relationships relevant to modern engineering and biological applications. Fundamental concepts are integrated with experimental methods, computational modeling, and data-informed approaches to guide the design of functional soft materials. Application examples from biomaterials, membranes, energy-related systems, soft interfaces, and sustainable polymers are used throughout the course to contextualize core concepts.