Design and Construction of Responsive Surfaces by Means of Tethered Chain Nanolayers

肯塔基大学Lynn S.Penn等人的“利用系链纳米层设计和构建响应性表面”这个项目探索了利用系链策略来创建对其环境或其他外部刺激动态响应的表面。(系链的定义是一种聚合物分子，沿着其长度通过一个点连接到固体的表面。)系链链特别适合于创建响应性曲面，因为除了与连接点相邻的链段外，它们的链段移动性不会受到影响。因此，即使它们永久地附着在底物上，系链也可以改变构象--从而改变表面的性质--以响应外加的电场或局部环境的改变。适当的化学结构和分子结构的系链，以及附加了特定化学功能的系链，可以用来构建表现出各种响应的表面。表面可以被构造成具有动态能力，例如纳米级图案的可逆外观，捕捉危险的生物或化学制剂，以及模仿接触相的表面能量。具有这些功能的表面在电子制造、环境污染清理、生物医学设备、胶粘剂粘接、科学仪器中的传感器、粘合和润湿以及生物和化学战防御中有应用。在这个项目中，研究人员将收集剩余的实验数据，以扩大他们目前系链过程的数学模型，使其具有足够的通用性，以供实际使用，并将使用受控系链来构建三个展示不同响应能力的演示表面。这三个演示表面将能够1)随着温度的变化而表现出可逆的平面内相分离，2)从流过的流中捕获大的阴离子物质，以及3)改变表面能以匹配接触相的表面能。项目活动包括合成大的有机分子和聚合物，在受控条件下执行系链程序(实时监测)，以及通过各种技术表征表面的结构和功能。影响：用聚合物修饰表面以操纵纳米表面结构和性能在许多方面都具有重要的技术意义。这项工作解决了一项紧迫的需求。在这些复杂技术中提供的培训将使这种重要的纳米技术的研究得以扩大。本建议中提出的系与大学之间的联系被认为是为了充分利用多学科方法的优势，并在形成许多参与其中的学生中灌输这种方法。如果研究成功，新的响应性表面将可用于各种重要的纳米技术应用，这将为社会带来巨大的好处。

Lynn S. Penn, Et al, University of Kentucky"Design and Construction of Responsive Surfaces by Means of Tethered Chain Nanolayers"This project explores use of a tethered chain strategy to create surfaces that respond dynamically to their environments or other external stimuli. (A tethered chain is defined as a polymer molecule that is attached by a single point along its length to the surface of a solid.) Tethered chains are uniquely suited for creating responsive surfaces because, except for chain segments adjacent to the point of attachment, their segmental mobility is not impaired. Thus, even though they are attached permanently to the substrate, tethered chains can change conformation-- and thereby change the nature of the surface-- in response to an applied field or alteration in the local environment.Tethered chains of the appropriate chemical structure and molecular architecture, and with specific chemical functionalities attached, can be used to construct surfaces that exhibit a wide variety of responses. Surfaces can be constructed to have dynamic capabilities such as reversible appearance of nanoscale patterns, trapping of hazardous biological or chemical agents, and mimicry of surface energy of contacting phases. Surfaces with these capabilities have applications in electronics manufacture, clean-up of environmental pollution, biomedical devices, adhesive bonding, sensors in scientific instrumentation, adhesion and wetting, and biological and chemical warfare defense.In this project the investigators will gather the remaining experimental data needed to broaden their current mathematical model of the tethering process and make it versatile enough for practical use and will use controlled tethering to construct three demonstration surfaces that exhibit diverse response capabilities. The three demonstration surfaces will be able to 1) exhibit reversible, in-plane phase separation in response to temperature changes, 2) trap large anionic species from a passing stream, and 3) change surface energy to match that of a contacting phase, respectively. Project activities include synthesis of large organic molecules and polymers, execution of tethering procedures under controlled conditions (with real time monitoring), and characterization of structure and function of the surfaces by means of a variety of techniques.Impact: The modification of surfaces with polymers to manipulate nano-surface structure and properties is technologically important on many fronts. This work addresses a critical need. The training provided in these sophisticated techniques will enable research in this important nano-technology to expand. The networking between departments and universities proposed in this proposal is considered to fully utilize the advantages of multidisciplary approaches and inculcates this approach in the formation of the many students involved. If the research is successful, new responsive surfaces will be available for a wide variety of important nano-technological applications which will provide great benefit to society.