Course Information
Course Title: Characterization of Coated Polymers
Categories: 1 - Atomic Force Microscopy
2 - Atomic Spectroscopy
3 - Polymers
4 - Surface Analysis
5 - Thermal Analysis
6 - X-Ray Diffraction
Instructor(s): Bernhard Dringenberg Course Number: 51
Affiliation: LAT
Course Date: 03/11/2012 - Sunday Course Length: 1 Day Course
Start Time: 08:30 AM End Time: 05:00 PM
Fee: $455 ($655 after 2/13/12) Textbook Fee:

Course Description
The effectiveness of the synthesis of polymers which are modified chemically has to be studied carefully. The performed surface modification of polymers may add a new functionality for a desired application. The different possibilities of polymer coatings have to be proved with special methods. It is to understand the different kinds of interactions between coating materials and the polymer surfaces. Also the reaction mechanisms are of interest as well as the long term stability.

Target Audience
Students of chemistry, chemical engineering as well as technical stuff and scientists with basic knowledge in organic chemistry and physical chemistry who like to get an overview of this subject.

Course Outline
The one day course is arranged with exercises and discussions of examples after each subject to go into detailed experimental interpretation of different materials. 
1. Introduction
2. Thermal and Mechanical Properties 
[Contact Angle, Young’s Modulus, Thermal Analysis, Microbalance, Heating/Cooling Stages, Thermal Conductivity]
3. Scattering of Particles at Surfaces
[X-Ray Diffraction, X-Ray Fluorescence, XRF-Imaging and Microscopy, Low Energy Ion Scattering, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy]
4. Microscopy, Profiling
[Profiling Measuring, Static and Dynamic Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy]
5. FT-IR-Raman-Spectroscopy, Ellipsometry, Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Course Instructor's Biography
Bernhard J. Dringenberg, earned his Ph.D. at the Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen. His main interests are the physical chemistry of nanoparticles and macromolecules meant for application in pharmaceuticals, biomaterials, photocatalists, and surface sciences.