SGER: Preparation and Properties of Macromolecular Brush Gradients

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AbstractCTS-0209403Genzer, JanNorth Carolina State UThe PI's propose a method for preparing gradient polymer brushes - structures with spatial variation of grafting density of polymers end-anchored on substrates. The PI's believe that the proposed set up is unique as it would allow one, for the first time, to explore the details of the transition between the brush and mushroom conformations. Moreover, they predict that this methodology could have a high impact on designing novel materials and structures with unique properties. For example, the ability to control the grafting density of macromolecules enables us to tailor the barrier properties of the materials, which would make them very attractive candidates for high quality filters or membranes. Additionally, assembling polymers in brush-like structures is believed to provide unprecedented means of generating "nanostructured molecular templates" that can be for example used as molecular seeds governing the ordering of non-polymeric materials (e.g.,nanoparticles, silicates, etc.) in polymeric matrices.