Syllabus
1. Structure of amorphous and soft condensed matter Characteristic space, time and energetic scales in condensed matter. General statistico-mechanical description of amorphous and soft materials. Investigation of material structure using X-ray and neutron scattering. Fundamentals of computer simulation of material structure and properties (Monte Carlo a Molecular Dynamics).
2. Liquid-crystalline state Basic types of liquid-crystalline order. Investigation of liquid-crystalline order using physical methods.
3. Polymers Basic models of space structure of polymer chain. Statistico-mechanical description of polymer chain in diluted, semi-diluted and concentrated solution, melt and polymer network. Investigation of structure of polymer materials using X-ray and neutron scattering.
4. Mechanical properties of amorphous and soft condensed matter Phenomenological theory of viscoelasticity. Principle of time-temperature superposition. Description of elastic properties in liquid-crystalline state of matter. Statistico-mechanical models of crystal elasticity and rubber elasticity of polymers.
5. Dielectric properties of amorphous and soft condensed matter Phenomenological theory of dielectric response to electric field. Statistico-mechanical models of dielectric properties of amorphous materials. Frederiks effect - liquid crystals in modern technologies.
Annotation
In the lecture, description of structure and properties of condensed matter with disordered or partially ordered structure exhibiting large response to small change of external parameters (soft materials) is given. Applications of soft materials, such as complex fluids, liquid crystals, block copolymers, polymer networks or hydrogels in modern technologies are emphasized.