Spectroscopic investigation of polymers and self-assembled materials

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Modern polymeric and self-assembled materials often present complex hierarchical structures, from nanometers to millimeters. The design and production of materials with properties targeted for specific applications thus requires a better than ever characterization of their structure. In this context, our research seeks to improve our understanding of the relationships between the processing conditions, the structure, and the properties of polymers and self-assembled materials. Our work focuses on two types of systems: polymer mixtures and self-assembled complexes between polymers and small molecules. We prepare thick and ultrathin (nano)films of these materials and we characterize them under both static and perturbed conditions. For instance, we apply mechanical deformations to samples to simulate the effect of industrial processing methods. We also use electrospinning to prepare new fibers with diameters much below that of conventional fibers. We seek to prepare fibers showing unusual or easily controllable properties.