CAREER: Investigations of Ordered Polymer Microstructures Formed by Molecular and Mesoscopic Self-Assembly

9875427Crawford本提案侧重于通过分子和介观自组装形成的新型微结构，这些微结构具有高度有序度、明确的对称性和强烈的各向异性光学和介电性质。这些独特的特性，加上它们多才多艺的制造和加工，强大的热稳定性和机械稳定性，以及对外部磁场的响应，将导致有趣的物理现象和令人兴奋的新应用。EM Industries和肯特州立大学的NSF Alcom中心正在提供各种活性介晶化合物，以创建和研究微结构，这些微结构显示出潜在的高技术兴趣的新颖的电学、光学和机械性能。该项目的教育目标是在布朗大学建立一个软凝聚态材料教育和研究的良好整合计划。该教育计划将通过互动实践模块、本科实验室和课程开发以及本科生的研究机会，将K-12扩展为目标。对活性介元的兴趣正在扩大，因为它们在新兴的基于液晶的技术中发挥着重要作用，而且丰富的物理现象使这些材料与其他应用领域高度相关。例如，亚微米尺度上的各种有序微结构，包括实心棒和球、中空管、‘纱球’和托洛体，具有很高的技术价值，可能对光学设备和作为一种新的受控药物释放手段非常有用。

9875427CrawfordThis proposal focuses on novel microstructures formed by molecular and mesoscopic self-assembly that possess high degrees of order, well defined symmetry, and strong anisotropic optical and dielectric properties. These unique attributes, in conjunction with their versatile fabrication and processing, robust thermal and mechanical stability, and responsiveness to external fields, will result in interesting physical phenomena and exciting new applications. Various reactive mesogenic compounds are being made available by EM Industries and the NSF ALCOM Center at Kent State University to create and study microstructures exhibiting novel electrical, optical, and mechanical properties of potential high technological interest. The educational goal of this project is to establish a well integrated education and research program on soft condensed matter materials at Brown University. The educational program will target K-12 outreach through interactive hands-on modules, undergraduate laboratories and curriculum development, and research opportunities for undergraduates.%%%Interest in reactive mesogens is being expanded because of their important role in emerging liquid crystal based technologies and a richness in physical phenomena that makes these materials highly relevant to other applications areas. For example, diverse set of ordered microstructures on the submicrometer scale that includes solid rods and spheres, hollow tubes, 'yarn balls', and torroids are of high technological interest and may be extremely useful for optical devices and as a new means of controlled drug release.***