POLYMER STRUCTURES BASED ON FIBERS OR FILMS FOR FUNCTIONAL APPLICATIONS

聚合物薄膜和纤维的性能是赋予材料的微结构的结果，这是树脂与其在加工过程中和之后经历的热机械历史之间复杂相互作用的结果。这在半结晶聚合物的情况下尤其重要，因为其微观结构是结晶度、取向和形态特征的混合体。我们之前的计划专注于开发特殊的薄膜结构，用于生成亲水多孔膜，并生产具有导电性能的功能性纤维结构。在我最近的发现基金的帮助下，我指导了两名博士生，一个完成了学位，另一个正在进行他的项目。在本申请的帮助下，旨在继续从薄膜和纤维结构开发功能多孔膜以及将其扩展到其他应用，如压电和抗菌。这将使用紧接着拉伸和功能化的铸膜法以及静电纺丝法来进行。具体地说，将开展或实施三个项目：1)开发基于石墨烯和PANI的导电电纺纳米结构，用于传感应用；2)功能化电纺结构，用于生物医学应用；3)PP多孔膜的功能化，以增强在极性或生物活性介质中的分离操作。*基于我们之前的结果，我们表明在我们的研究项目中开发的技术可以具有巨大的潜力。最近关于多孔膜和非织造血管支架(现已获得专利)的专利申请正在进一步评估潜在的商业应用。*在培养高素质人才方面，大部分博士生计划从我的发现基金中获得支持。在过去的几年里，我指导的两名博士生受益于我的发现基金的支持。其中一人完成了博士学位。在接下来的五年里，计划有三名博士生和一名硕士研究生以及至少两名博士后研究员受益于这项探索基金申请的支持。

The performance of polymer films and fibers is the result of the microstructure that is imparted to the material as a result of complex interactions between the resin and the thermo-mechanical history that it experiences during and after processing. This is particularly important in the case of semi-crystalline polymers, where the microstructure is a mix of crystallinity, orientation and morphological characteristics. Our previous program focussed on the development specific films structures for the generation of hydrophilic porous membranes and to produce functional fibrous structures with conductive properties. With the help of my most recent discovery grant, I supervised two PhD students, one finished his degree and the other one is pursuing his project. With the help from the present application, it is intended to continue the work on the development of functional porous membranes from both films and fibers structures as well as their extension to other applications such as piezoelectric and antibacterial. This will be performed using a cast film process followed by stretching and functionalization as well as the electrospinning process. Specifically, three projects will be pursued or conducted: 1) development of conductive electrospun nanostructures based on graphene and PANI for sensing applications; 2) functionalized electrospun structures for biomedical applications and 3) functionalization of PP porous membranes for enhanced separation operations in polar or bioactive media. ***Based on our previous results, we showed that the technologies developed in our research projects can have a significant potential. Recent patent applications on porous membranes and non woven vascular scaffold (now patented) are being evaluated further for potential commercial applications. ***In terms of training of highly qualified personnel, mostly PhD student are planned to be supported from my discovery grant. Two PhD students under my supervision in the past few years benefited from a support from my discovery grant. One of them finished his PhD. In the next five years, three PhD and one MS students as well as at least two post doctoral fellows are planned to benefit from the support of this discovery grant application.**