Studies of Quasi-Two Dimensional Systems

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Professor Stuart A. Rice is supported by a grant from the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Program to continue his studies of quasi-two dimensional systems. Rice will use a combination of theory and experiment to perform studies of: 1) polymer spheres and dimers in very thin cells or adsorbed on liquid surfaces; 2) Langmuir monolayers; and 3) the liquid-vapor interfaces of mixtures of metals. Experimental techniques to be employed include evanescent wave dynamic light scattering, digital video microscopy, and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and X-ray reflectivity. Simulations will involve the use of Molecular Dynamics and Monte Carlo techniques as well as Car-Parinello theory. Very little is known about the structure of the interface between two immiscible phases. Many chemical and biological phenomena depend on the nature of this interface. For example, the interface between long chain amphiphiles and water is a model for biological membranes found in the cell wall. Rice is using a combination of theoretical and experimental methods that have only recently become available to explore the detailed structure of these phase boundaries and the factors that influence their structure.