Materials Research Science and Engineering Center: Polymers at Engineered Interfaces

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The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the State University of New York Stony Brook entitled "Garcia MRSEC on Polymers at Engineered Interfaces" is a collaboration between SUNY Stony Brook, the City University of New York at Queens College and at Staton Island, the Polytechnic University, and North Carolina State University. The Center has its focus the design of polymer properties on macroscopic and microscopic length scales through the precise control of interfacial structure. The engineered interfaces bridge the gap between surface and bulk properties. The goal is to control the surface energies via chemical means with the purpose to design new materials with improved performance. Specific problems that are investigated include role of compatibilizers in clay/polymer blends, enhanced mircro-emulsification of polymers, control of nucleation in crystalline polymers, fractionation of DNA on chemically treated surfaces, as well as modeling and theoretical analyze.The Center supports well maintained shared experimental facilities and also supports interactive efforts with industry and other sectors. The Center has a large and effective educational outreach effort at the high school level, and sizeable Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) programs. An annual event, the Garcia MRSEC Open House is held each December at Queens College. The event attracts approximately 400 students from 10 New York area high schools. Participants in the Center currently include 12 senior investigators, 3 postdoctoral associates, 8 graduate students, 10 undergraduate students and 1 support person. Professor Miriam Rafailovich directs the MRSEC.