Collaborative Research: A Nanoparticle Embedment Method to Determine Surface and Interfacial Properties of Viscoelastic Liquids and Solids

材料在纳米尺度上的行为是一个非常重要的问题，因为它们在各种应用中的应用，从用于增强聚合物复合材料的颗粒到微纳电子中的低k介电应用。人们普遍认为，纳米材料的表面性质往往决定着它们之间的相互作用。在这项工作中，我们将在新的纳米球包埋实验的基础上，开发新的纳米棒包埋方法来确定一系列聚合物材料的表面力学性质。这项工作开发了原子力显微镜方法，以获得从玻璃态到橡胶态的聚合物的材料数据。此外，还将使用计算和分析工作，以获得随时间变化的弹性系数和泊松比。最后，在拟议的工作中，德克萨斯理工大学和俄克拉何马州立大学的学生将在相关机构与他们的对手合作。

The behavior of materials at the nanoscale is a matter of great importance due to their use in applications as diverse as particles for reinforcement of polymer composites to low k dielectric applications in micro/nano electronics. It has been widely postulated that the surface properties often dominate nanometer size materials and their interactions. In the present work, we will build upon novel nanosphere embedment experiments and develop novel nanorod embedment methods to determine the surface mechanical properties of a series of polymeric materials. The work develops atomic force microscopy methods to obtain materials data for polymers from the glassy to the rubbery states. In addition, both computational and analytical work will be used so that the time dependent modulus and Poisson's ratio can be obtained. Finally, in the proposed work, students from Texas Tech Univesity and Oklahoma State University will work in collaboration with their opposites at the relevant institutions.