Engineering Soft Materials

Catalog description

Soft materials are materials that can be easily deformed by thermal stresses or thermal fluctuations at about room temperature. In this course, the foundations of soft matter will be explained using numerous real-life examples. A comprehensive overview on different types of soft matter, such as polymers, colloids, gels, liquid crystals, amphiphiles, proteins, and/or cells will be provided, and the focus will be placed on engineering this burgeoning class of materials to address current challenges in the food-water-healthcare-energy nexus. During the semester, students will be guided to learn about various classes of soft materials and discover their emerging applications to address some of the quintessential challenges of the 21st century.