Role of Interface Interpenetration and Domain Size on Dynamic Coupling Across Dissimilar Polymer Domains

非技术摘要：用于离子传导、过滤、光电产生或复合材料增强等技术应用的先进材料设计侧重于在纳米级上将不同的材料成分组合在一起。这创造了一个几乎所有部件都靠近界面的系统，使得最终性能主要依赖于这些界面附近的局部材料特性。最近的观察表明，在最终材料加工和界面形成过程中，在不同聚合物界面之间建立了意想不到的强动力学耦合。计划中的研究旨在了解是什么控制了不同聚合物域之间的这种动态耦合，以及界面如何调节这种行为。在使用一系列不同技术的简化系统上进行实验，以研究在界面形成过程中多层系统中发生的性质变化以及它们如何改变整个材料的动力学。与这项研究相结合的将是对学生的教育以及外展活动。PI的推广工作包括与埃默里大学卡洛斯博物馆的教育项目合作，为教师和学校团体开发STEAM（科学、技术、工程、艺术和数学）项目，涵盖古代文化中使用的科学概念，如历史水管理策略。与博物馆的首席文物保护员合作，本科生研究项目将描述聚合物树脂及其在艺术品保护中的应用。技术总结：计划中的研究旨在了解是什么控制着不同聚合物域的动态耦合，以及界面如何调节这种行为。在使用一系列不同技术的简化系统上进行实验，以研究在界面退火过程中多层系统中发生的改变材料动力学的性质变化。对给定系统使用多种实验技术的结果进行比较，将提供有关现象的更全面的画面，从而有助于提高理解。在不同层厚的多层薄膜上进行的实验将使用以下技术：石英晶体显微镜研究不同聚合物界面在渐进界面退火时剪切波传播的变化，椭偏仪研究玻璃橡胶聚合物界面影响下物理老化的变化，差示扫描量热法比较玻璃转变宽度和温度相关热容。这些技术的结果将与在等效系统上使用荧光的玻璃化转变温度的局部深度相关测量相关联或对比。该项目的目标是解决在界面形成过程中导致不同聚合物畴之间动态耦合的实验可测量因素变化，以及有限畴尺寸（改变边界条件）如何改变这种现象。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:Advanced materials design for technological applications such as ion conduction, filtration, photoelectric generation, or composite reinforcement is focused on combining different material components at the nanoscale level. This creates systems where nearly all parts are near an interface making the resulting performance primarily dependent on the local material properties near these interfaces. Recent observations have demonstrated an unanticipated strong coupling of dynamics across dissimilar polymer interfaces established during final materials processing and interface formation. The planned research aims to understand what controls this dynamical coupling across dissimilar polymer domains and how interfaces mediate this behavior. Experiments on simplified systems using a series of different techniques will be carried out to investigate what property changes take place in multilayer systems during interface formation and how they alter the dynamics across the material. Integrated with this research will be education of students as well as outreach. Outreach efforts by the PI involve a partnership with Emory's Carlos Museum education programs to develop STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) programing for teachers and school groups covering scientific concepts used by ancient cultures such as historical water management strategies. In collaboration with the Museum's Chief Conservator, undergraduate research projects will characterize polymer resins and their applications used in artwork conservation. TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The planned research aims to understand what controls dynamical coupling across dissimilar polymer domains and how interfaces mediate this behavior. Experiments on simplified systems using a series of different techniques will be carried out to investigate what property changes take place in multilayer systems during interface annealing that alter the dynamics across the material. Comparison of results using multiple experimental techniques on a given system will provide a fuller picture of the relevant phenomena and thus facilitate improved understanding. Experiments on multilayer films with varying layer thicknesses will be done using the following techniques: quartz crystal microscopy to investigate changes in shear wave propagation across dissimilar polymer interfaces upon progressive interface annealing, ellipsometry to study changes in physical aging due to the impact of glassy-rubbery polymer interfaces, and differential scanning calorimetry to compare glass transition breadths and temperature-dependent heat capacities. Results from these techniques will be correlated or contrasted to localized depth-dependent measurements of the glass transition temperature using fluorescence on equivalent systems. The goals of this project are to address which experimentally measurable factors change during interface formation leading to dynamical coupling between different polymer domains, and how finite domain sizes (changing boundary conditions) alter this phenomenon. .This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.