Soft materials are ubiquitous in our modern daily lives. From the plastic packaging used in the food industry to new lightweight materials for aeronautics, soft matter research is changing the way we live, work and play. The physical principles of soft matter also underpin our understanding of natural materials, such proteins.
This course will provide an introduction to soft materials and their structure. Topics covered will include colloids and interfaces, nanoparticles, polymer science, and their applications. Students will be exposed to various methods of soft materials synthesis and have the opportunity to make such materials in the laboratory. An emphasis is played on how synthesis affects the resulting physical and chemical properties of materials such as polymers.
An important component of this course will cover how such materials are characterized The course will cover the three key methods used to study this class of materials: microscopy, scattering and spectroscopy. The properties of some technologically important functional materials will be highlighted throughout this course.
Note: This course is co-taught with undergraduate students but assessed separately.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Describe the main families and subfamilies of polymers, their uses, structures and synthesis.
- Evaluate the synthesis, properties and applications of nanoparticles.
- Explain how the various synthetic methods used, and their reaction kinetics, can dramatically alter the chemical and physical properties of polymers.
- Analyze how intermolecular forces determine colloidal behaviour, surfactant and surface phenomena.
- Articulate the principles of key techniques used to characterise polymers and nanoparticles.
- Obtain a professional level of skills in a chemical laboratory demonstrating effective laboratory safety and etiquette, especially in the areas of handling of chemicals and usage of lab-based glassware and equipment.
Other Information
A pass in the prescribed laboratory work is required in order to gain a pass in CHEM6213.
Indicative Assessment
- Mid-semester exam (33) [LO 1,2,5]
- lab reports (24) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Final exam (33) [LO 2,4,5]
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Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- Face-to face component which may consist of 3 x 1 hour lectures per week plus 6 laboratories, each four hours in length throughout the semester.
- Approximately 70 hours of self-directed study which will include preparation for lectures, presentations and other assessment tasks.
Students are expected to actively participate and contribute towards discussions.
Inherent Requirements
No specific inherent requirements have been identified for this course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
George Odian, Principles of Polymerization, 4th Edition, Wiley, 2004; Bradley D. Fahlman, Materials Chemistry, 2nd Edition, Springer, 2011.
Assumed Knowledge
This course requires first year (1000 level) knowledge of chemistry i.e. equivalent to the ANU courses CHEM1201 and CHEM1201.
Prior second year (2000 level) training in synthetic chemistry and materials chemistry is strongly recommended i.e. equivalent to the ANU courses CHEM2202 and CHEM2214.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8094 | 27 Jul 2026 | 03 Aug 2026 | 31 Aug 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 | In Person | N/A |