Preparation and aging effects in PEO-based nanocomposites

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In this project, we propose to investigate the formation and the preparation- and aging-dependent properties of adsorbed and possibly grafted polymeric interphases in the strongly interacting case of polyethyleneoxide (PEO) on spherical silica nanoparticles in bulk and aqueous suspension. The PEO in the interphase, forming an adsorption (Guiselin) brush, ultimately determines the interactions of the particles among each other and with other components of the studied system. We will use a combination of various solid-state NMR and complementary techniques, prominently small-angle scattering and rheology, to study the relation between the dynamic properties of the absorbed PEO, the arrangement of the silica particles, and the mechanical properties of the composites, respectively. The project seeks to further elucidate the conditions under which mixtures of end-functionalized PEO with monodisperse silica spheres form colloidal FCC superlattices, a novel phenomenon observed in preliminary experiments.