The aim of the course is to provide an introduction to chemical physics, especially on liquid solutions (both electrolyte and nonelectrolyte), solid solutions, and homogeneous and hybrid materials, and on the relevant characterization techniques.
Course syllabus:
(1) Introduction to inorganic chemical physics of electrolyte & nonelectrolyte solutions
Types of solutions. Thermodynamics of solutions. Properties of water: The hydrogen bond, solubility of molecules in water, polar and non-polar solvents. Electrical permeability of water. Dissociation: acids and bases, protonation. Properties of solutions: functional groups, hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions; solubility; diffusion. Colligative properties: boiling-point elevation, freezing point depression, osmotic pressure. Surface tension, capillarity. Water phase diagram and anomalies; aqueous electrolytes; non-electrolyte solutions. Electrostatics of salty solutions: biopolymers (polyelectrolytes) and biomembranes in water; Poisson-Boltzmann equation, Debye-Hückel model, electric double layers, ion and proton conduction; transport properties.
(2) Introduction to materials science properties
Cohesive interactions; structural and mechanical properties of homogeneous solids; organic molecular solids; non-miscible systems: morphology and properties of phase-separated materials
(3) Laboratory techniques
- Elemental analysis: photoelectron & mass spectroscopy (XPS, UPS, Auger, secondary ion mass spectroscopy)
- Chemical analysis: optical and vibrational spectroscopy (UV-vis, IR, Raman), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
- Morphological analysis: contact angle, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), tomography (microCT), NMR-imaging, electron microscopy (SEM, TEM, energy loss/secondary electron spectroscopy)
- Phase-change analysis
- Mechanical, electrical and optical characterization
- A pharmaceutical application: optical measurement of the dissolution kinetics and solubility of a drug
(4) Applications to pharmaceutics, drug formulation, & biophysical pharmacology:
- Experimental techniques for electrolyte and non-electrolyte solutions
- Small Molecules (drugs): HPLC, Chromatography, Mass spectroscopy, ICP-MS
- Characterization of Nanoparticles: Molecular sizes (Dynamics light scattering, DLS), Surface charge (zeta potential, with conductivity measures)
- Characterization of Biomolecules: chromatography, gel electrophoresis, Western Blot. Proteomics