CAREER: Block Copolymer/layered Silicate Nanocomposites: Thermodynamics, Dynamics, and Structure-Property Relationships

ARRA声明：该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。技术概要：该职业生涯奖支持一个项目，以探索一种新的聚合物复合材料，由嵌段共聚物密集接枝到高度剥离的层状硅酸盐颗粒的表面。PI假设，这类新型材料，嵌段共聚物/层状硅酸盐（BCPLS），有可能导致高性能/高工作温度聚烯烃基工程热塑性塑料具有前所未有的材料性能，这是由以下因素的协同组合引起的：由硅酸盐颗粒提供的机械增强，增强的热性能引起对链构象的扰动，以及嵌段共聚物将多种材料性质缝合到单一化合物中的能力。 在BCPLS材料中，每个填料颗粒与聚合物链的密集刷紧密耦合;因此，出现的性质不仅来自机械增强机制，而且来自聚合物链构象特征的内在扰动。使用嵌段共聚物是有利的，因为这通过选择组成嵌段和嵌段序列赋予系统这些迷人材料的固有可调性，并带来高于有序-无序转变的高度可加工性。此外，限制BCP的离散层状硅酸盐颗粒的相对面从根本上改变了自组装的热力学和所得的形态。这种独特的功能组合目前还没有在社区中，这项研究是一个重要的机会，为这些新材料的基本理解和利用做出开创性的贡献。非技术总结：该职业生涯奖支持一个项目，以探索一类新的聚合物复合材料，由嵌段共聚物密集接枝到高度剥离的层状硅酸盐颗粒的表面。PI假设，这种新型材料，嵌段共聚物/层状硅酸盐（BCPLS），有可能导致高性能/高工作温度聚烯烃基工程热塑性塑料具有前所未有的材料性能。在BCPLS材料中，除了公知的复合增强机制之外，每个填料颗粒与聚合物链的致密刷紧密结合，消除颗粒聚集并通过约束聚合物链的构象来增强性能。该项目将产生利用这些材料的潜力所需的基本知识。另一个重要目标是提高对K？12层。这将是通过将这项研究整合到一个校园计划辅导K？12科学教师，互动研讨会的协作发展，以电子方式交付K？整个爱荷华州的12个教室使用爱荷华州通信网络。

ARRA STATEMENT:This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This CAREER award supports a project to explore a new class of polymer composites, comprised of block copolymers densely grafted to the surfaces of highly exfoliated layered silicate particles. The PI hypothesizes that this novel class of materials, block copolymer/layered silicates (BCPLSs), holds the potential to lead to high performance/high service temperature polyolefin-based engineering thermoplastics with unprecedented materials properties, arising from a synergistic combination of factors: Mechanical reinforcement provided by the silicate particles, enhanced thermal properties arising perturbations to the chain-conformations, and the ability of block copolymers to stitch multiple materials properties into a single compound. In BCPLS materials each filler particle is intimately coupled to a dense brush of polymer chains; consequently, emergent properties arise not only from mechanical reinforcement mechanisms but also intrinsic perturbations to conformational characteristics of the polymer chain. The use of block copolymers is advantageous since this imparts to the system the inherent tunability of these fascinating materials through the choice of constituent blocks and block sequences, and brings high degrees of processability above the order-disorder transition. Moreover, the confinement of BCPs to the opposing faces of discrete layered silicate particles fundamentally changes the thermodynamics of self-assembly and the resultant morphologies. This unique combination of features is currently absent from the community, and this research is an important opportunity to make seminal contributions to the fundamental understanding and utilization of these new materials.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This CAREER award supports a project to explore a new class of polymer composites, comprised of block copolymers densely grafted to the surfaces of highly exfoliated layered silicate particles. The PI hypothesizes that this novel class of materials, block copolymer/layered silicates (BCPLSs), holds the potential to lead to high performance/high service temperature polyolefin-based engineering thermoplastics with unprecedented materials properties. In BCPLS materials each filler particle is intimately coupled to a dense brush of polymer chains, eliminating particle aggregation and enhancing the properties by constraining the conformations of the polymer chains, in addition to well-known composite reinforcement mechanisms. This project will generate the fundamental knowledge needed to harness the potential of these materials. Another important objective is to heighten awareness of and interest in STEM careers at the K?12 level. This will be accomplished by integrating this research into an on-campus program for mentoring K?12 science teachers, and the collaborative development of interactive workshops to be delivered electronically to K?12 classrooms throughout Iowa using the Iowa Communications Network.