Bridging Polymer and Glass Physics

在这个项目中，我们将建立一个统一的描述过冷，粘弹性和玻璃化在一个家庭的分子过渡金属醇盐，其行为桥梁的聚合物和小分子玻璃形成。材料的温度依赖性对其实际应用非常重要，因此彻底了解这些性质的分子起源至关重要。将使用广泛的技术，包括先进的流变学低至-160 ℃，DSC，拉曼，和SAXS/WAXS来表征宏观性能。这与原子计算机模拟（由合作者）相结合，以提供对宏观行为负责的分子水平结构和动力学的见解。我们的总体目标是在聚合物和玻璃物理学之间建立深刻的联系，以便在基础材料科学中产生范式转变，最终导致无定形材料的更合理设计，并对使用玻璃的所有领域产生影响，从聚合物，氧化物，硫属化物，金属，有机到金属有机框架（MOF）玻璃，涉及无定形药物，用于飞机发动机的超强金属玻璃、光电材料、高放射性核废料的密封。

In this project, we will establish a unified description of supercooling, viscoelasticity, and vitrification in a family of molecules-the transition metal alkoxides-whose behaviour bridges that of polymers and small-molecule glass formers. The temperature-dependent properties of materials are of enormous importance to their practical application and therefore a thorough understanding of the molecular origin of these properties is critically important. A wide range of techniques will be used including advanced rheology down to -160C, DSC, Raman, and SAXS/WAXS to characterise macroscopic properties. This is combined with atomistic computer simulations (by collaborators) to provide insights into molecular level structure and dynamics responsible for the macroscopic behaviour. Our overall aim is then to forge a deep connection between polymer and glass physics in order to produce a paradigm shift in fundamental materials science that will ultimately lead to a more rational design of amorphous materials with implications for all areas where glasses are utilised from polymer, oxide, chalcogenide, metallic, organic, to metal-organic framework (MOF) glasses involving applications from amorphous drugs, ultra-strong metallic glasses used in airplane engines, optoelectronic materials, to containment for high-level nuclear waste.