CAREER: Real-Space Measurement of Structure and Director Configuration in 3-D: A Study using Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy

该提案的重点是将聚合物分散液晶（pdlc）用于显示器件。聚合物分散液晶由微米大小的小分子（向列）液晶滴嵌入或被捕获在光聚合形成的聚合物基质中。该建议的目的是了解在进行相分离的反应介质中畴生长的动力学。利用激光扫描共聚焦显微镜（LSCM）进行测量，确认生长规律在这些系统中可操作，并开发在三维复杂形态下成像定向器配置的方法。除了本提案所研究的材料外，这些方法还应应用于各种其他领域。这项研究与教育目标的结合将为本科生和研究生提供一个非常刺激的环境。在这个项目中实施的研究和教育的整合将为学生提供跨越学科界限的非常广泛的教育，需要液晶，化学，光学和聚合物化学的物理知识。有机薄膜用于各种技术应用。它们在显示设备中的作用就是一个很好的例子。使用液晶显示信息的设备非常普遍，笔记本电脑屏幕上使用液晶就证明了这一点。这种将研究与教育相结合的特殊方法将使本科生和研究生都能接触到跨学科研究，从而了解在工业环境中会发生什么。最大的影响将是教育年轻人的思想，为年轻的科学家和工程师在未来的就业市场上竞争做好准备。这些外联活动还旨在帮助高中教师了解与这个“塑料时代”的社会有关的问题。

9875646SrinivasaraoThis proposal is focused on the use of polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) for display devices. Polymer dispersed liquid crystals consist of micron size drops of small molecule (nematic) liquid crystals embedded or trapped in a polymer matrix formed by photopolymerization. The aim of the proposal is to understand the dynamics of domain growth in a reactive medium that is undergoing phase separation. A laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) will be utilized to make measurements confirming growth laws operable in these systems, and to develop methods of imaging director configurations in complicated morphologies in three dimension. Such methods should find applications in a variety of other areas besides the materials under study in this proposal. The integration of this research with education goals will provide a very stimulating environment for students both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The integration of research and education to be implemented in this project will provide students with a very broad education that crosses disciplinary boundaries, requiring knowledge of physics of liquid crystals, chemistry, optics, and polymer chemistry.%%%Organic thin films are utilized in various technological applications. Their role in display devices is a case in point. The use of devices for displaying information that use liquid crystals are quite pervasive as is evidenced by their use in laptop computer screens. This particular approach to the integration of research with education will expose both undergraduate and graduate students to interdisciplinary research that provides a glimpse of what is to follow in industrial settings. The biggest impact will be in educating young minds and preparing young scientists and engineers to compete in future job markets. These outreach activities are also designed to help educate high school teachers on issues that are pertinent to society in this "age of plastics".