Course syllabus
Course-PM
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KPO041 Surface Engineering LP3 VT24 7.5 credits (4 + 3.5)
Course is offered by the department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Contact details
Examiner: Andreas Dahlin adahlin@chalmers.se
Additional lecturers: Merima Hasani merima.hasani@chalmers.se, Martin Andersson martin.andersson@chalmers.se
Project leaders: Julia Järlebark julia.jarlebark@chalmers.se, Jesper Medin jmedin@chalmers.se, Annija Stepulane annijas@chalmers.se, Amina Shaji amina.shaji@chalmers.se, Nicole Abdou nicole.abdou@chlamers.se
Supporting teacher: Andreas Schaefer andreas.schaefer@chalmers.se, John Andersson anjohn@chalmers.se
Course purpose
This course focuses on understanding, analyzing and controlling the properties of solid surfaces. It provides knowledge about techniques for altering surface properties. The science and technology of surfaces and interfaces are playing an increasingly important role, for instance in the polymer and pulp/paper industry. The material surface can be modified by various techniques in order to control surface properties and to give chemical functionality or responsiveness. Applications are also found in biology and medicine (biointerface science).
The course is to a high extent built on problem-based learning. Each student will select a project which aims to modify surface properties or to chemically functionalize a surface. The projects do not have any expected outcomes and are part of real ongoing research activities at Chalmers. In this manner, students create value for others, i.e. the researchers in the field (not necessarily only those at Chalmers). In a typical project, students together in a project group will under supervision of a project leader select a strategy for surface modifications, perform surface modifications and then analyze with suitable techniques the effect of the surface modifications. The project ends with an oral presentation and a written report.
Schedule
The schedule is available as a pdf file here in Canvas.
Course literature
Lecture slides (mandatory material).
Chapters from:
- Polymer Surfaces, From Physics to Technology, F. Garbassi, M. Morra, E. Occhiello, Wiley, New York, ISBN 0471971006
- Soft Condensed Matter, R.A.L. Jones, Oxford master series in condensed matter physics 2002, ISBN 0198505906
- Plasmonic Biosensors, A.B. Dahlin, Advances in Biomedical Spectroscopy, IOS Press 2012, ISBN 9781607509653
- Intermolecular and Surface Forces, J.N. Israelachvili, Academic Press 2011, ISBN 9780123751829
- Piezoelectric Sensors, C. Steinem, A. Janshoff, Springer 2007, ISBN 9783540365686
- Surface Wetting, K.Y. Law, H. Zhao, Springer 2016, ISBN 9783319252124
Selected review articles from the scientific literature.
Course design
Description of the course's learning activities:
- Lectures: The lectures will be available as videos and the slides as pdf files. The slides are quite extensive since they are meant to be self-explanatory. The schedules hours will be used for problem solving and the lectures should be studied beforehand.
- Exercises: Example exercises are provided with the lectures. Students are also encouraged to look at previous exams (which include answers).
- Laboratory work: This is organized as projects. There is no "conventional" laboratory work.
- Projects: The project work in groups is a central part of the course and corresponds to 40% of the work, reported separately in LADOK.
- Supervision: PhD students will act as supervisors in the projects.
- Feedback: PhD students will provide feedback on the written project report. The examiner provides feedback on the oral presentation of the project.
- Seminars: The projects are presented at a seminar close to the end of the course.
The course material will be available on Canvas. Communication with teachers is best done by email.
Participation in the oral presentation of the project work is mandatory.
Changes made since the last occasion
For several years, initiated by the pandemic, the course has followed a "flipped classroom" style where students study the material beforehand. However, this is not appreciated by all students and the attendance in class has been poor. Therefore, the course will now run with more "ordinary" lectures. However, the slides will still be available beforehand and the students are recommended to study them. Additionally, during the lectures there will be minor exercises (not just listening).
The content of the lectures is largely unchanged except in lecture 4, where the theory of liquid-liquid phase separation has been removed and the method of surface energy measurements added instead.
Learning objectives and syllabus
- describe the origin of surface and wetting properties as well as common surface forces
- describe methods for analyzing the physical and chemical properties of surface as well as adsorption kinetics
- plan and perform some surface modifications, such as polymer brushes, on various materials, such as cellulose
- suggest surface treatments to improve biocompatibility or other desired properties of surfaces in contact with biofluids
The student will also develop generic skills and get experience on:
- collaborating in a group towards a common goal
- dealing with uncertainty and unexpected outcomes
- searching for information relevant for the task at hand
Examination form
The course normally finishes with a written exam, corresponding to 60% (4.5 credits) of the course. No books or formula collections are allowed on the exam but there is no need to memorize equations etc. since they are given in the text. In certain cases oral examinations may be used instead.
The project work is graded as "pass" or "fail" and corresponds to 3 credits, reported separately. Active participation in all parts of the work as wel as an understanding of the purpose, methods and results are mandatory requirements.