Nanoconfinement and its Influence on Polymerization

这项资助的研究目的是阐明纳米约束下的阶梯生长和自由基聚合变化的基本机制。纳米多孔矩阵将被用作模型约束几何，工作将在圆柱形和球形约束制度下进行，并具有各种表面化学性质。量热法和傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）研究将用于确定反应速率和限制转化，并将通过使用光学科尔效应（OKE）光谱研究纳米受限液体动力学和结构来增强。该研究将量化约束诱导的液体结构和液体动力学变化对受限聚合反应性和热力学的重要性。研究结果对纳米复合材料、纳米光刻和纳米电子等领域的纳米级聚合物合成控制具有重要意义。拟议的努力还将为所涉及的本科生和研究生提供一流的最先进的研究培训，并将大力努力纳入代表性不足的少数民族。推广工作将包括让高中生参与暑期研究，以及参与两项成功的推广项目，一项是由TTU高级学习者发展和充实研究所（IDEAL）协调的“超级星期六”，这是一个面向四年级至六年级学生的科学充实项目，另一项是旨在提高初高中女生对科学和工程的兴趣的“科学——这是女孩的事”（SIGT）。

The research objective of this grant is to elucidate the fundamental mechanism that is responsible for changes in step-growth and free-radical polymerizations under nanoconfinement. Nanoporous matrices will be used as model confinement geometries and work will be carried out in both cylindrical and spherical confinement regimes and with various surface chemistries. Calorimetric and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies will be performed to determine reaction rates and limiting conversions and will be augmented by studies of nanoconfined liquid dynamics and structure using optical Keer effect (OKE) spectroscopy. The investigation will quantify the importance of confinement-induced changes in liquid structure and liquid dynamics on reactivity and thermodynamics in confined polymerizations.The results of the proposed study are important for controlling polymer synthesis at the nanoscale in nanocomposite, nanolithographic, and nanoelectronic applications. The proposed effort will also provide excellent state-of-the-art research training for the undergraduate and graduate students involved, and strong efforts will be made to include under-represented minorities. Outreach efforts will include involvement of high-school students in summer research, as well as participation in two successful outreach programs coordinated by the TTU Institute for the Development and Enrichment of Advanced Learners (IDEAL), "Super Saturdays," a science-enrichment program for fourth- to six-graders and "Science - It's a Girl Thing" (SIGT) aimed at promoting interest in science and engineering for junior high and high school girls.