2025 (Current Year) 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)
- Satoshi Kaneko / Ken Nakajima
- 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
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 3-4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Aug 25, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course is for students in Science Tokyo -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 the nanomechanical properties of soft materials investigated by atomic force microscopy and the latter half will deal with the single-molecule junction, which is the ultimate size of the molecule-metal interface.
Course description and aims
At the end of the course, students will acquire the following abilities:
1) Students will understand and explain the nanomechanical properties of soft materials investigated by atomic force microscopy.
2) Students will understand and explain the physical property of single-molecule junctions.
Keywords
Atomic force microscopy, Soft materials, Polymer, Viscoelasticity, Nanomaterials, Surface, Interface, Single-molecule junction, Quantized electronic conductance, Localized surface plasmon resonance
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) nanomechanical properties of soft materials investigated by atomic force microscopy, (2) the physical properties and structural analysis methods of single-molecule junctions.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Basics of atomic force microscopy |
Explain basics of atomic force microscopy |
| Class 2 | Basics of mechanical properties of polymeric materials |
Explain basics of mechanical properties of polymeric materials |
| Class 3 | Applications to single polymer chains |
Explain applications to single polymer chains |
| Class 4 | Applications to rubbery materials |
Explain applications to rubbery materials |
| Class 5 | Applications to polymer alloys |
Explain applications to polymer alloys |
| Class 6 | Applications to plastic materials |
Explain applications to plastic materials |
| Class 7 | Application to viscoelasticity measurement |
Explain application to viscoelasticity measurement |
| Class 8 | Role of the interface in nanomaterials |
Explain role of the interface in nanomaterials |
| Class 9 | Electronic states of the surface and interface |
Explain specific property of the electronic states of the surface and interface |
| Class 10 | Electron transport through nanomaterials |
Explain the fundamental physics regarding the electron transport through nanomaterials |
| Class 11 | Optical property of the nanomaterials |
Explain the optical property of the nanomaterials |
| Class 12 | Fabrication and electronic property of the single-molecule junction |
Explain the fabrication of the electronic property of the single-molecule junction |
| Class 13 | Determination of the geometry of the single-molecule junction |
Explain the way of determination of the geometry of the single-molecule junction |
| Class 14 | Devices using the single-molecule junctions |
Explain the devices using the single-molecule junctions |
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 LMS.
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.P494 ： Advanced Nano Science
- MAT.M421 ： Advanced Course of Quantum Chemistry
- CAP.I427 ： Introduction to Polymer Chemistry
- MAT.C412：Polymeric Biomaterials
- CAP.I426：Introduction to Polymer Science
- CAP.I437：Introduction to Polymer Physical Properties
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are necessary, but enrollment in the related courses is desirable.