Charged Block Copolymer Assembly of Unique Nanoscale Objects

技术概述：带电嵌段共聚物溶液组装将用于构建非凡的聚合物纳米结构。 理解这种组装形成的机制，并利用这些过程来获得定义明确的，可重复的纳米结构材料，将寻求基于目前研究的和新的嵌段化学的嵌段共聚物的合成和实验将有助于产生这种理解。 将寻求一个基本的理解的影响，多价，有机抗衡离子络合带电荷的电晕链的嵌段共聚物上的带电的嵌段构象，以及在聚合物自组装过程中形成的整体形态。 本工作将探索一系列多胺实现这一目的。 同样，将制备一系列三嵌段与二嵌段共聚物，以探索链结构和嵌段之间的相对组成的影响，以及新的疏水核化学。 新的核心化学允许混合实验，以便在同一组装的纳米结构中动态捕获多种分子类型。新的化学物质还将允许实验a）在纯水中进行，而不是在THF/H2O混合物中进行，从而大大简化了组装方案，以及B）允许疏水核的光降解，用于生产潜在的功能性多孔聚合物纳米颗粒。 总之，一个简单的，但变革性的解决方案组装范例创建复杂的聚合物纳米结构的潜在technology.Non-Technical总结：拟议的材料科学将努力实现两个重要的需求。首先，技术成果将有助于使纳米技术成为现实的未来技术，从能源到生物医学应用。 未来技术需要更复杂的纳米结构，这项工作致力于创造新的方法来生产所需的纳米结构。 第二，通过开展研究，研究生将在科学严谨的跨学科环境中接受培训，这是他们未来在美国工作成功的关键组成部分。在本科和研究生阶段，将通过整合合成聚合物化学，物理化学，生物化学和生物化学等多学科和跨学科领域的教育专业知识，在拟议的研究期间建立合作科学基础。高分子物理和材料科学与工程。 知识和专业知识的交流将通过特拉华州和得克萨斯州A M大学之间的人员动态交流来完成。 在四年的支持中，每个学生都将通过进行多个和长时间的现场交流来进行合作研究。 也许拟议工作的最大可能成果之一是将知识统一翻译给参与研究的化学家和材料科学家/工程师。这一提议的更广泛影响在科学进步、教育推广和学生发展方面具有深远的重要性。 这个合作研究计划构成了研究和教育活动的独特基础，每个都处于聚合物化学，物理化学，聚合物物理和材料科学领域的最前沿。 由这项合作赠款支持的研究生将通过参与伍利集团的既定外展活动（包括K-12教育外展活动）的开发和实施进行培训（协助教授K-8教师的一个学期的实践实验课程，通过材料意识计划或MAP对纽瓦克当地大学预科学生进行教育访问），预计每个学生每年将花费多达一周的时间参与K-12活动。

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:Charged block copolymer solution assembly will be used to construct extraordinary polymer nanostructures. The understanding of the mechanisms by which such assemblies form, and the harnessing of those processes to achieve well-defined, reproducible nanostructured materials, will be sought.The syntheses of, and experiments with, block copolymers based on both currently studied and new block chemistries will help produce this understanding. A fundamental understanding will be sought of the effects that multivalent, organic counterions complexing with charged corona chains of block copolymers have on the charged block conformation as well as the overall morphology formed during polymer self-assembly. The work will explore a series of multiamines towards this purpose. Likewise a series of triblock vs. diblock copolymers will be made to explore the effects of chain architecture and relative composition between blocks, as well as new hydrophobic core chemistry. The new core chemistry allows for blending experiments in order to kinetically trap multiple molecule types in the same assembled nanostructure. The new chemistries will also allow experiments toa) be performed in pure water as opposed to THF/H2O mixtures thus greatly simplifying assembly protocols as well as b) permit the photodegradation of hydrophobic cores for the production of potentially functional, porous polymer nanoparticles. In summary, a simple but transformative solution assembly paradigm for creation of complex polymer nanostructures for potential technology will be sought.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The proposed materials science will work towards two important needs.First, the technical results will help work towards making nanotechnology a reality for future technology ranging from energy to biomedical applications. More complex nanostructures are needed for future technology, and this work strives to create new methods to produce the needed nanostructure. Second, by performing the research, graduate students will be trained in scientifically rigorous, interdisciplinary environments, critical components for their future successes in the U.S. work force.At the undergraduate and graduate levels, collaborative scientific foundations will be developed during the proposed research by integrating educational expertise in the multi- and interdisciplinary fields of synthetic polymer chemistry, physical chemistry, polymer physics and materials science and engineering. Exchange of knowledge and expertise will be accomplished by a dynamic exchange of personnel between the University of Delaware and Texas A&M University. In each of the four years of support, each of the students will engage in collaborative research by conducting site exchanges for multiple and extended periods of time. Perhaps one of the greatest possible outcomes of the proposed work is the translation of knowledge uniformly to the chemists and materials scientists/engineers involved in the research.The broader impacts of this proposal are of far reaching importance in terms of scientific advances, educational outreach, and student development through active mentorship. This collaborative research proposal constitutes a unique base for research and educational activities, each at the forefront of the fields of polymer chemistry, physical chemistry, polymer physics and materials science. The graduate students supported by this collaborative grant will be trained additionally through involvement with the development and implementation of established outreach activities in the Wooley group including K-12 educational outreach activities (assisting with the teaching of a semester-length course on hands-on experiments for K-8 teachers, educational visits to and by local pre-college students in Newark through the Materials Awareness Program or MAP), and it is expected that each student will spend up to a week per year involved in K-12 activities.