Soft matter is defined as “all physicochemical systems that have large response functions”. It encompasses polymers, colloid, gels, granular materials, liquid crystals, liquids, and biological materials that share an important common feature: they can be deformed or altered structurally by a small mechanical stress or perturbation at room temperature. Thus, soft matter plays an important role in our daily life as well as the industry. Therefore, our vision is to be recognized as having one of the best academic programs worldwide for our positive impact on humanity through contributions to and leadership in soft matter science and technology. 

South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology (AISMST)  focuses on research and development in various areas of soft matter, conducting both fundamental and applied research. The Institute’s interdisciplinary approach is centered on new molecular designs and syntheses, functional and intelligent materials and manufacturing, as well as practical applications. Overall, AISMST is dedicated to academic discovery, invention and innovation, technology development, as well as the cultivation of talent and world-class education in soft matter. 

We are also establishing a comprehensive platform of more than 40 major instruments to meet the high demands of sample preparation, fabrication and processing, and characterization. Advanced setups, such as transmission and scanning electron microscopy, 2D wide-angle X-ray diffractometry and small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering, as well as ultrafast atomic force microscopy and many others, have been established to accomplish delicate tasks with great accuracy. Creativity and efficiency are the two features we would like to emphasize in this area. For instance, we specifically designed our 2D wide-angle X-ray diffractometer to make the most out of the latest rotating-anode X-ray source. In another example, we will employ state-of-the-art technologies, e.g. virtual reality and machine learning, to assist with user training and management of our instruments.