International Research Fellowship Program: Synthesis and Design of Novel Supramolecular Polymers and Rubbers by Environmentally Benign Methods

Priestley国际研究奖学金计划使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外进行9到24个月的研究。 该计划的奖项提供了联合研究的机会，以及使用独特或互补的设施，专业知识和国外的实验条件。Priestley与法国巴黎的Ecole Physique et Chimie Industrielles的Ludwik Leibler博士合作。超分子聚合物是一类聚合物，其中单体单元通过定向可逆的非共价相互作用组装在一起。 在不存在非共价相互作用的情况下，材料表现为液体。 非共价相互作用的强度决定了关键的聚合物参数，如分子量。 强迫组装的分子识别单元对外部刺激如温度、极性和光敏感。 由于这种效应，超分子聚合物被设计为响应？聪明吗？材料和自我修复材料。 该系统提供了许多优于传统（单体单元通过共价键结合在一起）聚合物的优点，例如易于模塑和回收。 然而，由于制备材料的繁琐的合成加工方法和它们的低抗蠕变性，超分子聚合物还没有取代传统聚合物。 本项目的目标是探索生产超分子聚合物的新方法和提高材料抗蠕变性的方法。 研究人员正在开发基于反应挤出的连续的、工业上有吸引力的方法，以创建超分子系统，并将纳米填料（例如纳米颗粒）掺入基质中以增强抗蠕变性。 正在研究系统的流变性能以及材料用作粘合剂和响应系统的潜力。

0754448PriestleyThe International Research Fellowship Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct nine to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will support a fourteen month research fellowship by Dr. Rodney D. Priestley to work with Dr. Ludwik Leibler at Ecole Superieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielles in Paris, France.A supramolecular polymer is a class of polymer, in which the monomer units are assembled together by directional reversible non-covalent interactions. In the absence of the non-covalent interactions, the material behaves as a liquid. The strength of the non-covalent interactions determines key polymer parameters such as the molecular weight. The molecular recognition units that coerce the assembly are sensitive to external stimuli such as temperature, polarity, and light. Owing to this effect, supramolecular polymers are being designed as responsive ?smart? materials and self-healing materials. The systems offer many advantages over traditional (monomer units held together by covalent bonds) polymer such as ease of molding and recycling. However, supramolecular polymers have not replaced traditional polymers due to cumbersome synthetic processing methods to prepare the material and their low creep resistance. The objectives of this project are to explore new methods to produce supramolecular polymers and ways to enhance the creep resistance of the materials. The researchers are developing continuous, industrially appealing methods based on reactive extrusion to create supramolecular systems and incorporating nanofiller (e.g. nanoparticles) into the matrix to enhance creep resistance. Rheological properties of the systems are being investigated as well as the potential for the materials to be used as adhesives and responsive systems.