Colloid-Polymer Systems: Statics and Dynamics

Marc A.RobertWilliam Marsh莱斯大学“胶体-聚合物系统：静力学和动力学”将研究胶体颗粒和可溶性非吸附聚合物混合物的相平衡、静态和动态微观结构以及扩散特性。这些系统要么是大块的三维系统，要么被限制在二维薄膜、狭缝孔以及一维和准一维通道中。将研究聚合物与胶体尺寸比的最大可能范围，从深入到小聚合物和大胶体的“胶体极限”，到深入到大聚合物和小胶体的“蛋白质极限”。所研究的胶体-聚合物体系由硬球状(中性或带有高度屏蔽相互作用的电荷)的胶体颗粒和在胶体悬浮液中可溶且不吸附的聚合物组成。将使用由数学家和物理学家开发的、基于直方图重新加权和有限尺寸缩放的最有效的计算机模拟方法的组合，理论(统计热力学)和实验(光刻、视频显微镜、荧光显微镜、图像分析)。拟议活动的智力价值将研究的问题是具有挑战性的基本问题，需要在统计热力学、计算机模拟、理论和实验物理化学以及凝聚态物理方面的专业知识。特别是，该项目中提出的强大的计算机模拟将导致在分子水平上对中性胶体颗粒之间可溶聚合物诱导力的微妙关键问题的重大理解，这些问题仅靠理论和实验是无法解决的。Panagiotopoulos教授(普林斯顿大学)已经同意与PI在计算机模拟方面进行合作，不对该项目产生任何成本。拟议活动的广泛影响除了研究生外，大量本科生将参加拟议的活动，一些本科生将在国家和地区科学会议上发表演讲，并成为出版物的联合作者。PI将参与莱斯大学的几个外联项目，在这些项目中，他将以可以理解的方式与休斯顿的初中和高中教师和学生讨论拟议的活动，这些学校主要是非裔美国人和西语裔休斯顿公立学校，这些学校在学术界中的代表性最低。PI还将在夏季接待几名中学生参观他的实验室，为期一周。该项目由两个CTS项目支持：界面、传输和热力学子项目；颗粒和多相过程。

Marc A. RobertWilliam Marsh Rice University "Colloid-Polymer Systems: Statics and Dynamics"Phase equilibria, static and dynamic microstructures, and diffusion properties of mixtures of colloidal particles and soluble non-adsorbing polymers will be investigated. The systems are either bulk three-dimensional ones, or they are confined to two-dimensional films, slit pores, and one- and quasi one-dimensional channels. The largest possible range of polymer-to-colloid size ratios will be investigated, from deep into the "colloid limit" of small polymer and large colloid, to deep into the "protein limit" of large polymer and small colloid. The colloid-polymer systems to be investigated consist of colloidal particles which are hard-sphere like (neutral or charged with a highly screened interaction), and of polymer which is soluble and non-adsorbing in the colloidal suspensions. A combination of the most efficient computer simulation methods developed by mathematicians and physicists and based on histogram reweighting and finite-size scaling, of theory (statistical thermodynamics) and of experiment (lithography, video microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, image analysis) will be used.Intellectual Merit of the Proposed ActivityThe problems that will be studied are challenging fundamental ones which require expertise in statistical thermodynamics, computer simulations, theoretical and experimental physical chemistry, and condensed matter physics. In particular, the powerful computer simulations proposed in this project will lead to significant understanding at a molecular level of the subtle key issues of soluble polymer-induced forces between neutral colloidal particles, which theory and experiment alone have not been able to resolve. Professor Panagiotopoulos (Princeton University) has agreed to collaborate with the PI on computer simulations at no cost to the project.Broader Impacts Resulting from the Proposed ActivityIn addition to graduate students, a large number of undergraduate students will take part in the proposed activity, and several will make presentations at national and regional scientific meetings and become co-authors of publications.The PI will be involved in several outreach programs of Rice University, in which hewill discuss this proposed activity in understandable terms with middle- and high schoolteachers and students, in predominantly African-American and Hispanic public schools ofHouston, those most largely underrepresented in academia. The PI will also host severalmiddle-school students in the summer to visit his laboratory for one week.The project is supported by two CTS programs: Interfacial, Transport, and Thermodynamics sub-program; Particulate and Multiphase Processes.