Mechanical Properties and Their Time-Temperature Dependence in Fabricated Polymeric Nanostructures

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The research focuses on the determination of stiffness and strength of plastics when they are made into structures the size of the plastic molecules themselves, which are just a few tens of nanometers in diameter. The research will also determine how temperature and time change these mechanical properties. Previous efforts to make these measurements have not been done with accuracy and reliability. Why do these properties need to be measured? That's because structures that are used in manufactured products need to be strong and durable. But when these structures are extremely small ? nanometer-sized ? their properties are expected to be quite different from those of large structures. The collaborators can make these measurements because of new techniques that they have developed.Technology based on extremely small material elements ? nanotechnology ? hold promise of improving healthcare, reducing pollution, producing energy without using fuels that produce green house gases, and speed up computers, etc. But soon methods to produce robust, stable nanometer-sized devices cheaply and reliably will become critical barriers. The new measurement techniques in this research will be needed to enable emerging forms of nanotechnology. The collaborators, at the University of California, Irvine, and at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, have a large number of industrial affiliates which will learn about the results of this research through workshops and seminars. New knowledge learned from the research will be incorporated into existing undergraduate and graduate courses at UC Irvine and will directly and quickly benefit many students.