CAREER: Solvent-Free Synthesis of Polymeric Nanostructures with Targeted Properties

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This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant will support research that enables advances in the manufacturing science of polymer nanoparticles. The manufacturing of polymer nanoparticles is motivated by the socioeconomic impact on the US economy which spans both medical and commercial activities. Polymer nanoparticles are currently synthesized via a solution-based batch processes, which can limit their broad deployment and constrain the available nanoparticles to a spherical shape with solid internal morphology using a limited selection of chemical compositions. To overcome these challenges, this research provides the needed knowledge for the development of a new scalable manufacturing paradigm that produces polymer nanoparticles with programmable shape, size, porosity, and chemistries. The programmable polymer nanoparticles could find important uses as injectable implants or in programmable drug delivery, transforming the impact of nanoparticles on the economy and employment. The methodology for synthesis of programmable nanoparticles can be adopted for the design of a broad range of nanomaterials, accelerating the growth of this multi-billion-dollar industry in the US. The manufacturing technique is scalable and modular, providing parallel paths for both centralized and decentralized manufacturing. Education and outreach activities will be integrated throughout the duration of this award through a common theme that is focused on active learning and broadening the participation of women in STEM and technology transfer. The research develops a methodology for the continuous production of programmable polymeric nanoparticles via a non-equilibrium manufacturing process utilizing chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The CVD process is solvent-free and can be a scalable manufacturing process for organic-based nanoparticles potentially extendable soft materials such as a variety of polymers. This project addresses that challenge for nanostructure formation based on non-equilibrium phenomena, including dropwise condensation, solvent-free polymerization, dynamic dewetting, evaporation, and flow-directed structure formation enabled by the process. The research addresses the fundamental questions that are key to achieving this methodological advance: (1) kinetics of condensation and polymerization of nonpolar nanodrops for controlled particle size and size distribution; (2) non-equilibrium dewetting on an engineered/patterned interface to define the particle geometry; and (3) molecular complexes and interfacial flow to enable porous internal morphologies for the nanoparticles.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.