Aggregation And Self-Assembly

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

This course will introduce and discuss the basic qualitative and quantitative understanding of aggregation and self-assembly. The goal is to provide the corresponding vocabulary and concepts and to illustrate them with examples of aggregation and self-assembly of surfactants, (bio-)polymers and nano-particles.

At the end of the course you will:
- be able to characterize the morphology of self-assembled structures,
- understand general driving forces and mechanisms of aggregation and self-assembly,
- know selected applications of aggregation and self-assembly phenomena,
- be exposed to a research/application topic by participation in the course project.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

Basic understanding of physical chemistry is expected.

Syllabus

Week 1: Course Introduction: overview of self-assembled structures and their thermodynamic and kinetic origins; introduction to the course project.
Week 2: Surfactants: mechanisms of aggregation and self-assembly.
Week 3: (Bio-)Polymers: mechanisms of aggregation and self-assembly.
Week 4: Nano-particles: mechanisms of aggregation and self-assembly.
Week 5: In class initial project presentations and project assignments.
Week 6: Aggregation and self-assembly: selected issues and applications.
Week 7: Aggregation and self-assembly: selected issues and applications.
Week 8: In class project presentations and report evaluations.

Reading list

1. Atkins P., de Paula J., Physical Chemistry, 10th Ed, OUP, 2014.
2. Israelachvili J. N., Intermolecular and Surface Forces, 3rd Ed., Elsevier (2011).