Structure and Mechanics of Self-Assembled Polymer Films at Liquid Interfaces

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ARRA STATEMENT This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). TECHNICAL SUMMARY A variety of useful functional materials can be produced by adsorption of polymeric molecules, nanoparticles, or a combination of these components to liquid/liquid or liquid/solid interfaces. Applications of these materials require that they have sufficient mechanical strength, which generally originates from their polymeric component. Currently, many of the factors that control the detailed structure and mechanical integrity of these materials are not well understood. This project will develop the field of interfacial mechanics so that the relationships between the processing parameters, structural features and mechanical properties of polymer-based interfacial layers can be understood and controlled. Successful completion of the proposed research will enable interfacial structures to be engineered with the necessary mechanical strength. The general approach involves application of the materials science paradigm that has successfully led to the development of new bulk materials. Well defined model systems will be utilized in conjunction with experimental techniques developed specifically for the investigations of these types of interfacial films. Three types of systems will be investigated: interfaces between oppositely charged polyelectrolyte layers, interfacial assemblies formed by the complexation of oppositely charged species at the interface between two aqueous fluids, and materials undergoing self-assembly or self-organization while confined to two dimensions.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY The research will result in the development of an important new class of materials with applications in materials and health-related areas. Graduate students will be trained in the relevant scientific techniques in an important, emerging subfield of materials science. The work will also foster international collaboration through joint projects with colleagues in Mexico. An additional initiative entitled "Nature's Solutions to Mechanical Problems" will provide a means for communicating important fundamental concepts in mechanics to a very broad and diverse audience. A primary goal of this portion of the project is to develop a bridge between the scientific community, which is increasingly focused on understanding and mimicking the mechanical behavior of biological systems, and the broader public who are inherently interested in their natural surroundings but are not familiar with the scientific literature in these areas. A secondary goal is to use these examples to develop critical thinking skills, to communicate 'how we know what we know', and to teach both scientists and non-scientists to distinguish between claims that have a rational basis and those that do not. This effort is leveraged by collaborations with local museums in the Chicago area, beginning with the Chicago Botanic Garden and Shedd Aquarium. These institutions bring expertise in reaching the public at the broadest and most general level. Undergraduate students at Northwestern University and high school science teachers in the Chicago area will be involved in this part of the effort under the guidance of the PI.