SusChEM: Collaborative Research: Identification of the critical length scales and chemistries responsible for the anti-fouling properties of heterogeneous surfaces

在这个由美国国家科学基金会化学部环境化学科学计划资助的项目中，卡内基梅隆大学的Mauter和塔夫茨大学的艾塞Asatekin描述了污垢粘附到具有自组装化学异质性的表面的基本机制。 这项研究导致了一类新的防污表面，使能源节约和膜脱盐在高度污染的环境中使用，如废水回收。这些基本见解还为生物医学和海洋应用中的防污方法提供了信息。这项工作涉及聚合物的合成，胶体力和沉积实验，和建模，以评估域的大小，域的疏水性/亲水性对比度，和域化学在确定污垢吸附的相对重要性。 合成了长度为1 ~ 10 nm的表面异质性共聚物薄膜库，并进行了表征。 的材料特性被用来模拟胶体的附着效率，这些异质表面使用三个模型的复杂性不断增加。 这些模型进行了验证，使用胶体力显微镜和质量为基础的沉积测量，使用石英晶体微天平与耗散监测。最后，这个项目探讨了纳米图案化对胶体释放的作用，作为剪切速度的函数。 参与这项研究的两名研究生和几名本科生获得了跨学科的知识和技能，并通过出版物和演讲传播他们的工作。Meagan S. Mauter和艾塞Asatekin积极倡导扩大妇女在STEM领域的参与，并将这项研究纳入他们的教学，其中包括环境政策，聚合物科学和分离课程。

In this project funded by the Environmental Chemical Sciences Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation, Professors Meagan S. Mauter of Carnegie Mellon University and Ayse Asatekin of Tufts University characterize the fundamental mechanisms of foulant adhesion to surfaces with self-assembled chemical heterogeneity. This research leads to a novel class of fouling resistant surfaces that enable energy savings and the use of membrane desalination in highly fouling environments, such as wastewater reclamation. The fundamental insights also inform approaches to fouling prevention in biomedical and marine applications. This work involves polymer synthesis, colloidal force and deposition experiments, and modeling to evaluate the relative importance of domain size, domain hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity contrast, and domain chemistry in determining foulant adsorption. A library of copolymer films with surface heterogeneity on the length scale of 1 to 10 nm are synthesized and characterized. The material properties are used to model the attachment efficiency of colloids to these heterogeneous surfaces using three models of increasing complexity. These models are validated using colloidal force microscopy and mass-based deposition measurements using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. Finally, this project explores the role of nanopatterning on colloidal release as a function of shear velocity. Two graduate and several undergraduate students involved in this research gain interdisciplinary knowledge and skills, and disseminate their work through publications and presentations. Both Professors Meagan S. Mauter and Ayse Asatekin are active advocates of broadening the participation of women in STEM fields, and incorporate this research into their teaching, which covers classes on environmental policy, polymer science, and separations.