BRIGE: Toughening Mechanisms in Supramolecular Networks with Photocrosslinkable Moieties

EEC-0824333 KorleyBRIGE奖项通过增加ENG研究人员的多样性来保持全球竞争力，这些研究人员在职业生涯的早期就开始了研究项目。 BRIGE奖项通过增加工程专业毕业生的数量、提高女性和少数民族在工程领域的代表性以及了解如何提高工程专业学生的招聘和保留率，进一步扩大了工程研究人员的参与。BRIGE奖项致力于弹性材料的增韧。 弹性体材料的增韧主要集中在增强域（纳米填料，有序域）的掺入;很少注意到变形下的网络的弹性响应的修改作为韧性增强的模式。受天然材料（如胶原蛋白和肌联蛋白）中表现出的分级分子结构和增韧机制的启发，已经提出在弹性体框架中掺入类似于肌联蛋白结构的周期性有序结构域是调节弹性响应的可行方法。弱结合的超分子基序是开发可调（温度，结合活性，环境条件）和响应弹性平台的理想系统。这一跨学科研究计划的意义在于产生新的科学知识，涉及超分子模板的热力学和动力学现象和交联结构域。 预计这一基本调查将提供有价值的洞察力的基本增韧和动态重组机制表现在自然启发的超分子弹性体。该研究将有助于全球努力合理设计具有增强材料性能的轻质功能材料，并影响保护系统，传感器等的技术进步，该BRIGE调查旨在影响先进的功能材料，并通过建立关键的结构-功能关系来推动新技术的发展。 PI设计了一个主题计划，将新颖而令人兴奋的研究应用于广泛的教育和推广活动。 PI成立了项目研究团队，指导和培训本科生和高中生，特别是来自STEM领域代表性不足的群体。 此外，PI还为初中和高中学生创建了创新的外展计划，包括星期六科学学院，以满足国家需要，扩大代表性不足的群体在STEM学科，特别是工程领域的参与。这个教育和推广平台的共同点是PI和来自行业和学术界的战略合作伙伴将通过应用研究，预备计划和实践学习的全面融合作为导师，榜样和教育者。BRIGE赠款将扩大所有工程师的参与并增加他们的机会，包括那些来自工程学科代表性不足的群体。 该BRIGE赠款还将鼓励PI作为独立调查员积极参与研究。

EEC-0824333KorleyBRIGE awards maintain global competitiveness by increasing the diversity of ENG researchers, who are initiating research programs early in their careers. BRIGE awards further the broaden participation of engineering researchers by increasing the number of engineering graduates, by improving the representation of women and minorities in engineering, and by understanding how to improve recruitment and retention of engineering students.This BRIGE award addresses the toughening of elastomeric materials. The toughening of elastomeric materials has primarily focused on the incorporation of reinforcing domains (nanofillers, ordered domains); little attention has been given to modification of the elastic response of the network under deformation as a mode of toughness enhancement. Inspired by the hierarchical molecular architecture of and toughening mechanisms exhibited in natural materials, such as collagen and titin, it has been suggested that the incorporation of periodic, ordered domains, similar to the architecture of titin, in an elastomeric framework is a viable method for tuning the elastic response. Weakly-binding supramolecular motifs are ideal systems for developing tunable (temperature, binding activity, environmental conditions) and responsive elastomeric platforms for this investigation. The significance of this interdisciplinary research program lies in the generation of new scientific knowledge relating the thermodynamic and kinetic phenomena of the supramolecular template and the photopatterned crosslinked domains. It is anticipated that this fundamental investigation will provide valuable insight into the underlying toughening and dynamic restructuring mechanisms exhibited in nature-inspired supramolecular elastomers. The research will contribute to global efforts to rationally design lightweight, functional materials with enhanced material properties and impact technological advancements in protective systems, sensors, etc. This BRIGE investigation seeks to impact advanced, functional materials and to drive the development of new technologies through establishment of key structure-function relationships. The PI has designed a thematic program to apply the novel and exciting research to broad educational and outreach activities. The PI has formed Project Research Teams to mentor and train undergraduate and high school students, especially from underrepresented groups in STEM fields. Additionally, the PI has created innovative outreach programs for middle and high school students, including a Saturday Science Academy, to address the national need to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines, particularly engineering. The common thread of this educational and outreach platform is that the PI and strategic partners from industry and academia will serve as mentors, role models, and educators through a comprehensive blend of applied research, preparatory programs, and hands-on learning.This BRIGE grant will broaden the participation of and increase opportunities for all engineers including those from groups underrepresented in the engineering disciplines. This BRIGE grant will also encourage the PI to become actively and competitively engaged in research as an independent investigator.