2.S984: Interfacial Engineering

Fall | Graduate | 12 Units | Prereq: None

Fall 2020 Update: Fully Remote Classes - Interfacial interactions are ubiquitous in multiple industries including energy, water, agriculture, medical, food processing, transportation, and consumer packaging. Many transport processes are typically bottle-necked at interfaces and designing them appropriately can significantly enhance performance. This course will address how surface/interface chemistry, morphology, thermal, and electrical properties can be engineered across multiple length scales for significant efficiency enhancements. Topics include surface tension and wetting phenomena, thermodynamics of interfaces, surface chemistry and morphology, nonwetting and superwetting surfaces, drop bouncing, phase transitions, condensation and boiling, adhesion of ice and crystals, charged interfaces, electrowetting and electro-osmotic flows, and bio-interfaces. Manufacturing and scale-up approaches, robust materials and processes, and entrepreneurial efforts to translate these technologies into useful products and markets will also be discussed. Specific examples of industrial relevance and applications to energy, water harvesting, agriculture, and consumer products will be discussed throughout the course.