PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF SOFT MATTER
Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: GRAZIA MARIA LUCIA MESSINAExpected Learning Outcomes
The course aims to provide models and laws to understand self-assembly phenomena involving the main classes of soft matter, the physico-chemical parameters governing their structure and the main techniques for the morphological and structural characterization of soft matter.
More specifically, the course's aim is the development of the following skills:
- Knowledge and understanding: the objective is the understanding of the physico-chemical laws and quantities that govern the self-organization processes of soft matter and of the main techniques aimed at the morpho-structural characterization of soft matter
- Applying knowledge and understanding: the goal is the application of what has been learned to the interpretation and prediction of soft matter behavior in systems of general interest
- Making judgements: the goal is to make the student able to evaluate the conditions of existence of the various soft matter structures as well as to choose the most suitable technique for the characterization of a specific soft material
- Communication skills: the goal is to make the student able to accurately and rigorously communicate scientific topics with particular reference to the field of soft materials and nanomaterials
- Learning skills: the goal is to make the student able to apply the concepts learned during the course to the understanding of phenomena and processes involving soft materials of specific interest
Course Structure
The course will consist of 4 credits provided through lectures and 2 credit of laboratory exercises.
Required Prerequisites
-Basics of physical chemistry of surfaces and interfaces, with particular attention to the notions of interfacial tension and cohesion forces in condensed soft phases
-Thermodynamic energy functional: Helmholtz and Gibbs free energies, entropy, internal energy and related thermodynamic relationships.
Attendance of Lessons
Attendance required at least 70 % of lessons
Detailed Course Content
Introduction to soft matter: basic principles and concepts
Interface thermodynamics in soft-matter systems
Physical chemistry of colloidal systems: Properties of colloids. Kinetic properties; Brownian motion, Sedimentation, osmosis, rheology of colloidal dispersions. Stability of colloidal systems: van der Waals forces and Hamaker constant, Electrostatic forces, Electrical forces, critical concentration there coagulation. Kinetics of aggregation: DLVO theory.
Physical chemistry of polymers: Properties of polymers. Stimulus-responsive polymers. Conductive polymers: mechanisms, patterns and properties.
Physical chemistry of macromolecules at the interface: Adsorption processes, thermodynamic and kinetic properties. Intelligent macromolecules for smart devices
Bioelectronics: basic principles, conductive polymers to control and monitor cells, medical applications
Soft matter surface techniques:
Scanning probe microscopy. Tunnell effect microscopy. Atomic force microscopy. Force curves.
Quartz crystal micro balance. Plasmon resonance of localized surface
Spectroscopic ellipsometry
Spectroscopy of electrochemical impedance
Textbook Information
Polymer Physics (M. Rubinstein – Oxford University Press)
Soft Condensed Matter (E. Terentjev, D. WeitzBruckner – Oxford University Press)
Soft Condensed Matter (R.A. Jones - OUP Oxford)
The Colloidal Domain (D. Fennel Evans, H. Wennerstroem - Wiley)
Fluids, Colloids and Soft Materials: An Introduction to Soft Matter Physics (A.Fernandez-Nieves, A. Puertas – Wiley)
Soft Matter Nanotechnology (X. Chen, H. Fuchs – Wiley)
Scanning Probe Microscopy of Soft Matter: Fundamentals and Practices (V. V. Tsukruk, S. Singamaneni - Wiley)
Organic electronics (Fabio Cicoira and Clara Santato - Wiley)
Electrical Properties of Polymers- (Tony Blythe, David Bloor - Cambridge University Press)
Soft Matter Physics-Masao Doi - Oxford University Press (2013).pdf
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to soft matter: basic principles and conceptsInterface thermodynamics in soft-matter systems | Soft Matter Physics- (Masao Doi - Oxford University Press)Introduction to applied colloid and surface chemistry- Kiil-Kontogeorgis |
| 2 | Physical chemistry of colloidal systems:Interaction forces in colloids. Differences between "hard" and "soft" colloids. Interaction of depletion and behavior of colloidal phases. Hydrodynamics of colloidal systems and effects at the interface | Introduction to applied colloid and surface chemistry- Kiil-Kontogeorgis |
| 3 | Physical chemistry of polymers: Properties of polymers. Stimulus-responsive polymers. Conductive polymers: mechanisms, patterns and properties. | Polymer Physics (M. Rubinstein – Oxford University Press)Electrical Properties of Polymers- (Tony Blythe, David Bloor - Cambridge University Press) |
| 4 | Physical chemistry of macromolecules at the interface: Adsorption processes, thermodynamic and kinetic properties. Intelligent macromolecules for smart devices | Biopolymers at interfaces - Malmsten - Marcel Dekker |
| 5 | Bioelectronics: basic principles, conductive polymers to control and monitor cells, medical applications | Organic electronics (Fabio Cicoira and Clara Santato - Wiley) |
| 6 | Soft matter surface techniques:Scanning probe microscopy. Tunnell effect microscopy. Atomic force microscopy. Force curves.Quartz crystal micro balance. Plasmon resonance of localized surfaceSpectroscopic ellipsometrySpectroscopy of electrochemical impedance | Notes from lectures |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
The examinations could also be performed by telematic media, in case of specific emergencies.
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
Definition and properties of "soft matter" systems.
Describe the behavior of colloidal systems at the interface.
Models to describe the conductivity mechanism of conductive polymers
Principles and characteristics of bioelectronics