Nanomaterials for optical applications: luminescent nanoparticles and the organization of nanoparticles in polymer matrices

该研究计划的长期目标是开发具有独特光学特性的新材料。 研究将集中在发光纳米粒子的调查，等离子体耦合在有序阵列的金属纳米粒子和金属增强荧光。 将考虑两种类型的发光颗粒：镧系元素盐的纳米晶体和掺杂的聚合物颗粒。 未来的研究还将集中在控制聚合物中纳米颗粒的掺入和组织的策略的开发上。 本研究将分为两个部分。 第一个是在嵌段共聚物模板上制备有序的二维纳米粒子阵列。在这样的系统中，在分子水平上的相分离可以导致高度有序的图案化表面，其表现出与组成嵌段的分子量相关的域尺寸。 拟议的研究将涉及研究这些有序结构中金属纳米颗粒的组织。 第二种混合体系涉及将纳米颗粒（金属和磁性）掺入通过乳液聚合制备的聚合物纳米颗粒内。 该路线对于在单个颗粒内引入双官能度特别有吸引力。例如，将制备掺杂有金属颗粒和发光物质的颗粒，用于等离子体增强荧光的研究。 该计划的一个重要的统一主题是将功能性纳米颗粒引入聚合物基质中。因此，希望这项研究将提供深入了解这种混合材料的制备，超越这里所针对的特定系统。

The long term objective of this research program is the development of new materials with unique optical properties. Research will focus on the investigation of luminescent nanoparticles, plasmon coupling in ordered arrays of metal nanoparticles and metal enhanced fluorescence. Two types of luminescent particles will be considered: nanocrystals of lanthanide salts and doped polymer particles. Future research will also focus on the development of strategies for controlling the incorporation and organisation of nanoparticles within polymers. This research will be divided into two parts. The first involves the fabrication of ordered two-dimensional nanoparticles arrays on block copolymer templates. In such systems, phase separation at the molecular level can lead to highly ordered patterned surfaces exhibiting domain sizes that are related to the molecular weight of the constituent blocks. The proposed research will involve the study of the organisation of metal nanoparticles within these ordered structures. The second hybrid system involves the incorporation of nanoparticles (metal and magnetic) within polymer nanoparticles prepared by emulsion polymerisation. This route is particularly attractive for the incorporation of duel functionality within a single particle. For example, particles doped with both metallic particles and a luminescent species will be prepared for the study of plasmon enhanced fluorescence. An important unifying theme of the proposed program is the introduction of functional nanoparticles into polymer matrices. It is therefore hoped that the research will provide insight into the preparation of such hybrid materials that reaches beyond the specific systems targeted here.