NIRT: Engineering Conducting Polymer Nanofibers for Advanced Applications

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TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The intersection between the emerging fields of conducting polymers and nanoscience offers exciting opportunities to make very sensitive sensors, high-density memory storage devices and artificial muscles. Our newly developed process for making ultra-small diameter fibers of the conducting polymer polyaniline provides the basis for this project. The nanofibers will be decorated with functional molecules, nanoparticles and polymers at the nanometer scale. Coating processes will be developed to form uniform nanofiber films. These films will be used to make sensors that exploit the rapid change in electrical conductivity possible with conducting polymer nanofibers. Suitable additives will be dispersed into polyaniline nanofiber networks to tailor the interaction between nanofibers and analytes, greatly enhancing their sensitivity and selectivity for sensing toxic chemicals. Non-volatile molecular memory devices that can write, read, store and erase information based on polyaniline nanofibers decorated with metal nanoparticles will be explored. An ordinary camera flash has been found to cause a film of nanofibers to weld together. This process, called flash welding, will be used to weld conventional polymers together, to create composites between conducting and traditional polymers, to form patterned structures and to create "artificial muscles". Artificial muscles are a type of mechanical actuator that responds to a chemical or electrochemical stimulus by expanding or contracting. Disseminating information to the public and effective training of students at all levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral) are the most important ways in which this proposal will have broad impact. Our plan is to have students learn every aspect of developing conducting polymer nanofibers from synthesis and characterization to building and testing devices. Our interdisciplinary research involving scientists and engineers from not only UCLA but also industry, the national labs and international collaborations will provide our students with exceptional educational opportunities that will serve them well in their future endeavors. All students and faculty involved in this project will bring their enthusiasm for science to the public through outreach activities.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The intersection between the emerging fields of conducting polymers and nanoscience offers exciting opportunities to make very sensitive sensors, high-density memory storage devices and artificial muscles. Our newly developed process for making ultra-small diameter fibers of the conducting polymer polyaniline provides the basis for this project. Sensors will be constructed that exploit the rapid change in electrical conductivity possible with conducting polymer nanofibers. Additives will be dispersed into the polyaniline nanofiber networks to enhance their selectivity for sensing toxic chemicals. Non-volatile molecular memory devices that can write, read, store and erase information based on polyaniline nanofibers decorated with metal nanoparticles will be explored. An ordinary camera flash has been found to cause a film of nanofibers to weld together. This process, called flash welding, will be used to weld conventional polymers together, to create composites between conducting and traditional polymers, to form patterned structures and to create artificial muscles. Disseminating information to the public and effective training of students at all levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral) are the most important ways in which this proposal will have broad impact. Our plan is to have students learn every aspect of developing conducting polymer nanofibers from synthesis and characterization to building and testing devices. Our interdisciplinary research involving scientists and engineers from not only UCLA but also industry, the national labs and international collaborations will provide our students with exceptional educational opportunities that will serve them well in their future endeavors. All students and faculty involved in this project will bring their enthusiasm for science to the public through outreach activities.