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Program Scientific Program
S4 Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
Colloids and molecular assemblies provide a powerful platform to design functional materials where structure and properties can be finely tuned through interfacial control and self-organization. Recent advances in polymer surfaces, colloidal interfaces, and supramolecular structures highlight how nanoscale interactions can be translated into emergent functions at larger scales. These innovations are driving new directions in soft materials science, where precise surface engineering and controlled assemblies enable versatile platforms for adaptive, sustainable, and multifunctional systems. This session will bring together recent progress in molecular design, advanced synthetic strategies, and interfacial characterization, with a focus on understanding and exploiting the unique behaviors of polymers, colloids, and complex supramolecular structures. Emphasis will be placed on bridging fundamental insights with scalable methodologies, enabling pathways toward innovative soft material systems with tunable properties and broad technological impact.

Topics will include:

  • Advanced design and synthesis of polymers and colloids with tailored interfacial properties.
  • Colloidal interfaces and assemblies: structure formation, dynamics, and emergent functions.
  • Complex macromolecular and supramolecular structures for hierarchical and adaptive material design.
  • Innovative approaches to control polymer and colloid surfaces via chemical, physical, and bio-inspired strategies.
  • Advanced characterization methods for probing interfacial and assembly phenomena across scales.
  • Scalable processing, sustainability, and future directions in colloid- and interface-based functional materials.

Keynote Speakers:

  • Hans-Jürgen Butt (Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Germany)
  • Shu Yang (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
  • Katharina Landfester (Max Plank Institute for Polymer Research, Germany)
  • Nicholas L. Abbott (Cornell University, USA)
  • Orlin D. Velev (North Carolina State University, USA)
  • Dongjun Ahn (Korea University, Republic of Korea)
  • Cheolmin Park (Yonsei University, Republic of Korea)

Invited Speakers:

  • Xuehua Zhang (University of Alberta, Canada)
  • Dong-Po Song (Tianjin University, China)
  • Jiun Tai Chen (National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan)
  • Daeyeon Lee (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
  • Xu Deng (University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China)

Symposium Organizers

Dong Ki Yoon

KAIST
Republic of Korea
nandk@kaist.ac.kr

Sanghyuk Wooh

Chung-Ang University
Republic of Korea
woohsh@cau.ac.kr

Sangchul Roh

Chonnam National University
Republic of Korea
scroh@jnu.ac.kr

Kang Hee Ku

UNIST
Republic of Korea
kangheeku@unist.ac.kr

Supported by
BUSAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION
Sponsored by
한국도레이과학진흥재단