Self-Assembly of Soft Materials

Catalog description

Soft matter is found in diverse applications including sports (helmets & cloths); food (chocolate, egg); consumer products (e.g., lotions and shampoo); and devices (displays, electronics). Whereas solids and liquids are typically hard and crystalline or soft and fluid, respectively, soft matter can exhibit both solid and liquid like behavior. In this class, we investigate the thermodynamic and dynamic principles common to soft matter as well as soft (weak) forces, self-assembly and phase behavior. Classes of matter include colloidal particles, polymers, liquid crystalline molecules, amphiphilic molecules, biomacromolecules/membranes, and food.