2022 Faculty Courses School of Materials and Chemical Technology Department of Materials Science and Engineering Graduate major in Materials Science and Engineering
Soft Materials
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Materials Science and Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Yoshimitsu Sagara / Toshiki Sawada
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - at Tsinghua Univ.
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- MAT.P483
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2022
- Offered quarter
- 3-4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course is for students in Tokyo Tech-Tsinghua University joint graduate program. The course is held at Tsinghua University in Beijing (or possibly via Zoom) and mainly deals with the fundamental concepts of soft materials. Since the instructors and the topics change every year, the course contents will be revised every year. This year, the course will be divided into two: the former half will deal with structures and physical properties/functions of biopolymers such as proteins and DNAs and the latter half will be molecular assemblies and their application to mechanosensing light-emitting materials.
Course description and aims
At the end of the course, students will acquire the following abilities:
1) Students will understand how to form regularly ordered/assembled structures of biopolymers based on physical chemistry and structure-property relationship.
2) Students will understand molecular assemblies and their application to mechanosensing light-emitting materials.
Keywords
inter-/intramolecular interaction, higher-order structure, ordered assembly, , Michaelis-Menten mechanism, molecular assemblies, liquid crystals, amphiphilic molecules, mechanophores
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
This course will proceed in the following order: (1) structures and physical properties/functions of biopolymers such as proteins and DNAs, (2) molecular assemblies and their application to mechanosensing light-emitting materials.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Interactions of biopolymers in an aqueous phase | Explain the intermolecular interactions in an aqueous phase |
| Class 2 | Amino acids and (poly)peptides | Explain the relation between the amino acid structures and conformational structures of (poly)peptides in terms of the relevant interactions. |
| Class 3 | Three-dimensional structures and functions of proteins | Explain the functional expression of proteins based on their three-dimensional structures. |
| Class 4 | Nucleic acids and their structural stabilization based on the duplex formation | Explain interactions contributed to the stabilization of the duplex formation. |
| Class 5 | Physical properties and functions of polysaccharides based on their structural diversities | Explain how the structure and the function of polysaccharides are derived from varieties of monosaccharides and the intermolecular interactions. |
| Class 6 | Molecular assembly of lipids based on their amphiphilic structural features | Explain the variation, the determinant factors for the assembly, and the membrane transport mechanisms. |
| Class 7 | Selective chemical reactions and polymerization of biopolymers by protein enzymes | Explain the variation of enzymes, the mechanisms of catalytic and inhibitory reactions, and polymerization mechanisms for biopolymers. |
| Class 8 | Introduction of molecular assembled materials | Explain molecular assembled materials briefly |
| Class 9 | Various intermolecular interactions | Explain various types of intermolecular interactions |
| Class 10 | Photo functions | Understand several photo functions |
| Class 11 | Liquid Crystals and their functions | Explain categories and functions of liquid crystals |
| Class 12 | Molecular assemblies composed of amphiphiles | Understand how amphiphiles assemble into various molecular assembled structures in aqueous phases |
| Class 13 | Mechanoresponsive luminescent materials based on molecular assemblies | Understand the fundamental concept and representative examples of mechanoresponsive luminescent materials based on molecular assemblies |
| Class 14 | Mechanophores and the applications | Explain the working mechanism of mechanophores and the applications |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Non required.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Materials used in class can be found on T2SCHORA.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Practice problems and interpretation for confirming the level of understanding (90%), level of class participation (10%) (The level of class participation will be evaluated by discussion, brief examination in the lecture.)
Related courses
- CAP.P421 ： Special Lecture on Characterization of Polymer Structures and Properties
- CAP.P422 ： Advanced Polymer Properties
- CAP.P432 ： Elements of Polymer Science II
- MAT.P426 ： Thermal Properties of Materials
- MAT.P414 ： Soft Materials Function
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are necessary, but enrollment in the related courses is desirable.