U.S.-France Cooperative Research: Control of Orientation ofLiquid Crystalline Polymers and Block Copolymers by Substrates and Applied Fields

这个为期两年的奖项为美法合作研究提供支持，旨在了解如何控制液晶聚合物和液晶嵌段共聚物材料的超分子水平结构。该项目涉及麻省理工学院的Edwin L. Thomas和法国斯特拉斯堡Charles Sadron研究所的Jean- Claude Wittman和Bernard Lotz的研究小组。调查人员将对这些材料进行表征和处理。聚合物薄膜将在高取向聚四氟乙烯衬底和外加电场或磁场下进行微相分离和液晶形成。美国研究小组为此次合作带来了应用先进电子显微镜技术的专业知识。这与法国在晶体物理和定向处理方面的专业知识相辅相成。该项目将促进对液晶聚合物材料的基板和现场加工及其光学应用的理解。

This two-year award provides support for US-France cooperative research aimed at understanding how to control super and molecular level structures of liquid crystalline polymers and liquid crystalline block copolymer materials. The project involves the research groups of Edwin L. Thomas at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Jean- Claude Wittman and Bernard Lotz at the Institut Charles Sadron in Strasbourg, France. The investigators will characterize and process these materials. Thin films of polymer will be processed to undergo microphase separation and liquid crystal formation on highly oriented polytetrafluoroethylene substrates and under an applied electric or magnetic field. The US research group brings to this collaboration expertise in applied advanced electron microscopic techniques. This is complemented by French expertise in crystal physics and orientational processing. The project will advance understanding of substrate and field processing of liquid crystalline polymeric materials and their optical applications.