Polymerizing Liquids: Structure, Thermodynamics, and Transport

Sandra Greer教授获得了实验物理化学项目的资助，研究聚合液体的密度、热容量和相平衡；她还将测试一些可能适用于他们的理论模型。这项工作将帮助我们了解聚合发生的方式和原因，最终使我们能够设计和生产更好的塑料、合成油和服装材料。Greer正在进行双管齐下的研究，首先要找出某些已经提出的理论模型是否确实正确地预测了可逆聚合的行为。这些系统通常被称为“活聚合物”，因为聚合物-单体平衡可以通过温度变化可逆地改变；因此，模拟化学平衡行为。其次，Greer将检验Wheeler等人的概念，即静态特性（密度和热容）实际上可以被视为临界现象。此外，Greer希望看到用于预测和描述磁体相变的理论是否也可以用于描述她的“活聚合物”系统的可逆平衡特性。

Professor Sandra Greer is supported by a grant from the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program to study the density, heat capacity and phase equilibria of polymerizing liquids; she will also be testing a number of theoretical models that may be applicable to them. This work will help us to understand how and why polymerization occurs ultimately allowing us to design and produce better plastics, synthetic oils and clothing materials. Greer is pursuing a two pronged attack to find out firstly, if certain theoretical models that have been proposed do in fact correctly predict the behavior of reversible polymerization. These systems often refered to as "living polymers" because the polymer-monomer equilbrium can be reversibly shifted by temperature changes; thus, mimicking chemical equilbrium behavior. Secondly, Greer will examine the concept of Wheeler et al. that the static properties (density and heat capacity) can, in fact, be treated as critical phenomena. Moreover, Greer hopes to see whether or not the theories used to predict and describe phase transitions in magnets can also be used to describe her "living polymer" systems' reversible equilibria properties.