Viscoelastic Properties of Concentrated Polymer Solutions, U.S.-Italy Program

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This award will support collaborative research between Professor Karl Freed of the University of Chicago and Professor Angelo Perico of the Center for Chemical Physics Research on Natural and Synthetic Macromolecules in Genova, Italy. This research concerns the study of viscoelastic properties of solutions of flexible polymers. Using renormalization group methods and statistical mechanics, the investigators plan to extend the theory of concentration dependence of hydrodynamic properties to incorporate various aspects of the dynamics of polymers in concentrated solutions. This research is an international component of currently supported work of Professors Freed and Perico. The aim is to develop a complete theory of polymer properties that are dependent on hydrodynamic and polymer solvent interactions. The collaborators have succeeded in reformulating a hydrodynamic multiple scattering theory that has the potential for solving many new dynamical problems related to polymer concentration. Because of the inherent mathematical difficulties associated with these problems even in the simplest limiting cases, the achievement of a coherent theory should be a significant advance. Additionally, the proposed problems are important and may have a significant impact on applications ranging from biology to technology.