Stimuli responsive materials use the energy supplied by a source available from the surrounding to modify their properties and perform a corresponding action. These materials have found numerous applications in technology and at the same time are interesting for the understanding of the behavior of materials far from equilibrium. In soft materials, colloidal suspensions are frequently designed in order to modify their properties upon the application of external stimuli like temperature gradients, light irradiation, pH changes and electric and magnetic fields.
The course will focus on different aspects of the science of stimuli responsive materials. We will overview the implementation of responsiveness from the perspective of material design, explore different physical phenomena that can be triggered in these materials at all scales, and present case studies of technological applications that are already available in the market. Examples of topics that will be discussed are: photoresponsivity from the molecular level to active living materials, electric field responsivity in colloidal suspensions from Quincke rolling to electronic ink displays, magnetic responsivity in ferrofluids and stimulus driven self-assembly of micro-nanoparticles.
The aim is to bridge the knowledge from physics, chemistry and material science to build a common interest around the topic and at the same time give to each student a non-trivial understanding on how stimuli responsive materials are studied from different perspectives.
Tentative titles of the lessons:
1. Introduction to stimuli responsive materials
2. Light: design of photoresponsive materials at the molecular level
3. Temperature changes: state transition based responsiveness
4. Chemical stimuli: pH changes and chemical fuel driven responsivity
5. Mechanical stimuli: response to strain and shear
6. Electric fields: responsivity in colloidal suspensions and activated phenomena
7. Magnetic fields: ferrofluids and physical phenomena
8. Integration of multiple responsiveness in materials
9. Stimuli responsive polymers
10. Stimuli responsive active matter
11. Stimuli responsive materials in medical applications
12. Stimuli responsive materials as building blocks for intelligent materials
Target group: Mainly directed towards physics and chemistry PhD students but open also to other backgrounds.
Prerequisites: None
Evaluation: None
Teaching format: Lectures, Student presentations,
ECTS: 3 Year: 2024
Track segment(s):
Elective
Teacher(s):
Carlo Rigoni
Teaching assistant(s):
- Teacher: Carlo Rigoni