This course provides an overview of an exciting microscale approach to fabrication, modification, and characterization of smart materials, that is microfluidics. Modern microfluidics is an interdisciplinary area combining chemistry, biology, materials science, fluid mechanics, nanotechnology, and engineering. It deals with liquid flows in channels with the diameter between several micrometers and a millimeter. We will introduce you the concept of microfluidics and fundamental aspects behind its scientific and technological novelty. We will learn how to fabricate microfluidic chips, simulate microfluidic processes, and perform experiments with soft matter in confinement.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Illustrate the benefits of microfluidics for smart materials science and technology;

2. Summarize the steps required for design and fabrication of microfluidic devices;

3. Model the processes of microfluidic soft matter synthesis with numerical software;

4. Apply microfluidic instruments to fabrication of smart materials