Research Initiation Award: Molecular-Level Engineering of Polymer Interfaces in Colloidal Suspensions

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The goal of this research is to explore the microstructural details and macroscopic consequences of polymer grafted colloidal particles in aqueous media. Novel grafting techniques utilizing biochemical linking agents will be used to graft poly(ethylene oxide) or other polymers onto functionalized polystyrene or silica particles. The efficacy of the analytical techniques, including UV absorbance, NMR spectroscopy, static and dynamic light scattering, and dielectric spectroscopy. Rheological measurements, including capillary viscometry, steady shear and constant stress viscometry, oscillation, and stress relaxation, yield insights regarding polymer-mediated interparticle forces and the suspension microstructure. The dielectric spectroscopy technique will be extended to concentrated suspensions containing grafted polymer. These measurements will be combined with extended theoretical models of polymer layer structure, interparticle forces, and suspension rheology in order to rationalize the observed equilibrium properties and dynamic behavior.