Interfaces for Chemistry, Biology and Nanotechnology

CHEM 426 looks at what happens at boundaries, where two phases, materials, or environments meet, and treats those interfaces as the place where most interesting chemistry, biology, and nanoscale behavior actually occurs. You'll work through the intermolecular forces that hold films, membranes, micelles, and self-assembled structures together, then learn how researchers actually probe these systems using force-based techniques, optical imaging, and surface-selective nonlinear spectroscopy, with quizzes, homework, two midterms, and a presentation along the way. It pulls together physical chemistry and a bit of optics into something directly useful for anyone heading toward soft matter, biophysics, or nanotech research.