PDF File: (Click to Down Load): Syllabus.pdf
Instructor: Prof. Greg Beaucage
556-3063(Office)/-5152 (Lab)/-9305(Lab)
540 ERC/410B Rhodes
Textbook:
1) "Introduction to Polymer Physics" M. Doi, Clarendon Press 1996.
2) Class Notes Posted on the Web at:
http://www.eng.uc.edu/~gbeaucag/BeaucageResearchGroup.html
3) "Scaling concepts in polymer physics" P. G. de Gennes 1979.
4) "The theory of polymer dynamics" Oxford University Press, 1986.
5) "Principles of polymer chemistry." P. J. Flory, 1953.
Level: Graduate (Undergraduate by petition)
Synopsis of Course: This course is aimed at equipping students with a basic level of knowledge of the terminology and mathematics involved in the physical understanding of polymers. Most of the topics deal with post 1970 concepts involving the statics and dynamics of polymeric materials. The course is intended for graduate students who would like to gain an understanding of modern approaches to polymer physics. The course will closely follow the recent books of Strobl and Doi. Doi's intent is similar to that of this course, "...to present a framework to graduate students in a concise and self-contained manner..." Prerequisite is "...a knowledge of undergraduate-level statistical mechanics..." Courses in polymers and thermodynamics are a necessary preparation for the course. The syllabus follows Strobl's Chapters 1-2 the Appendix on RPA and Scattering and Chapter 7 as well as Doi's 5 chapters.
1.) Properties of an isolated polymer molecule.
Ideal chainSegmental distribution
Non-ideal chains
Scaling laws
2.) Concentrated solutions and melts
Thermodynamics of polymer solutions
Concentration fluctuations in polymer solutions
Blends
Block copolymers
3.) Polymer gels.
Elasticity
The stress optical law
Interactions between partial chains
Swelling of gels
4.) Molecular motion of polymers in dilute solution.
Brownian motion
Bead-spring model
Dynamic light scattering
5.) Molecular motion in entangled polymer systems.
Dynamics of concentration fluctuations
Reptation
Viscoelasticity of polymers
Quizzes (Equal Weight)
8 to 10 Weekly Quizzes
End of each Wednesday Class, 1 problem (usually with
5 parts)
20 minutes
Final Exam
During Finals Week. (3 Quizes)