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

液体界面自组装聚合物薄膜的结构和力学

• 批准号: 0907384
• 负责人: Kenneth Shull
• 金额: $ 37.5万
• 依托单位: Northwestern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-01 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0907384&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Structure; Mechanics; Self; Assembled; Polymer

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.

ARRA 声明 该奖项根据 2009 年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法 111-5）提供资金。技术概述可以通过将聚合物分子、纳米粒子或这些组分的组合吸附到液/液或液/固界面来生产多种有用的功能材料。 这些材料的应用要求它们具有足够的机械强度，这通常源自它们的聚合物成分。 目前，控制这些材料的详细结构和机械完整性的许多因素尚不清楚。 该项目将发展界面力学领域，以便理解和控制聚合物界面层的加工参数、结构特征和机械性能之间的关系。 成功完成拟议的研究将使界面结构设计具有必要的机械强度。 一般方法涉及材料科学范式的应用，该范式已成功导致新散装材料的开发。 明确定义的模型系统将与专门为研究这些类型的界面膜而开发的实验技术结合使用。 将研究三种类型的系统：带相反电荷的聚电解质层之间的界面、由两种水性流体之间的界面处带相反电荷的物质络合形成的界面组件，以及在二维范围内进行自组装或自组织的材料。非技术摘要该研究将导致开发一类重要的新型材料，并应用于材料和健康相关领域。 研究生将接受材料科学重要新兴子领域相关科学技术的培训。 这项工作还将通过与墨西哥同事的联合项目促进国际合作。 另一项题为“机械问题的自然解决方案”的倡议将提供一种向广泛而多样化的受众传达重要的力学基本概念的方法。 该项目这一部分的主要目标是在科学界和更广泛的公众之间建立一座桥梁，科学界越来越注重理解和模仿生物系统的机械行为，而广大公众对自然环境有着内在的兴趣，但不熟悉这些领域的科学文献。 第二个目标是利用这些例子来培养批判性思维技能，传达“我们如何知道我们所知道的”，并教导科学家和非科学家区分有理性基础的主张和没有理性基础的主张。 这项工作是通过与芝加哥地区当地博物馆的合作来实现的，首先是芝加哥植物园和谢德水族馆。 这些机构带来了在最广泛和最普遍层面上接触公众的专业知识。 西北大学的本科生和芝加哥地区的高中科学教师将在PI的指导下参与这部分工作。