2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Materials and Chemical Technology Undergraduate major in Materials Science and Engineering
Interface Chemistry
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Materials Science and Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Hidetoshi Matsumoto / Sachiko Matsushita
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- MAT.A308
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2026
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 5, 2026
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Interfacial phenomena are a key item of relevance to almost all areas of everyday life and industry. They are the basis for all applications in energy conversion, biomaterials, electronic materials, and so on. The aim of this course is to provide a practical grounding in the broad field of colloid and interface chemistry in general.
Course description and aims
By taking this course, students will be able to know and explain the basic vocabulary of colloidal interface chemistry.
Keywords
Intermolecular forces, Electric dipole, van der Waals interaction, Surface tension, Adsorption, Processes at solid surface, Colloid, Interface, Surfactant, Electric double layer
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Explain using white board and slides, sometimes including handout or short test.
If our campus recommends online, the lectures will be online except for the test.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Understand electric dipole moment, polarization, and polarizability. |
Understand electric dipole moment, polarization, and polarizability. |
| Class 2 | Intermolecular forces |
Understand dipole/dipole interactions, dipole/induced-dipole interactions, and induced-dipole/induced-dipole interactions. |
| Class 3 | Gases, Liquids, and Solids |
Understand molecular interactions in beams, surface tension, the Laplace equation and contact angle. |
| Class 4 | Solid surfaces |
Understand growth and structure of surfaces. |
| Class 5 | Adsorption at surfaces |
Understand physisorption and chemisorption, and the Langmuir isotherm. |
| Class 6 | Catalytic activity at surfaces |
Understand catalytic activity at surfaces. |
| Class 7 | Mid-term examination |
Check the level of knowledge acquired. |
| Class 8 | Electric characteristics of interface 1 |
Learn about the physical properties of interfaces, such as the work function. |
| Class 9 | Electric characteristics of interface 2 |
Learn about the electrochemical properties of interfaces, such as the electric double layer |
| Class 10 | Electric characteristics of interface 3 |
Learn about the phenomena at metal/electrolyte, semiconductor/electrolyte, semiconductor/semiconductor interface. |
| Class 11 | Dispersed system in aqueous and non-aqueous systems. |
Learn how to disperse materials in water and non-water solvent. |
| Class 12 | Wetting, contact angle, adhesion |
Learn about the formation of the interface |
| Class 13 | Spontaneous motion at interface |
Learn about the spontaneous motion at liquid/liquid interface and nonlinear thermodynamics |
| Class 14 | Reserve day |
We have a reserve day just in case. |
| Class 15 | Examination |
Check the level of knowledge acquired. |
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)
Peter Atkins, Julio de Paula, Atkins' Physical Chemistry, last volume, 10th Ed., Chapters 16 and 22, Tokyo: Tokyo Kagaku Dojin, ISBN: 978-4-8079-0909-4
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Materials used in class can be found on Science Tokyo LMS.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Exam. (80%), Report (20%)
Related courses
- MAT.P204 ： Physical Chemistry (Thermodynamics)
- MAT.C317 ： Interface Chemistry (C)
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are necessary, but enrollment in the related courses is desirable.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
Hidetoshi Matsumoto, matsumoto.h.f6bc[at]m.isct.ac.jp
Sachiko Matsushita, matsushita.s.0912[at]m.isct.ac.jp
Office hours
Contact by e-mail in advance to schedule an appointment.