Smectic C* Liquid Crystalline/Amorphous Block Copolymers for Electro-optical Applications

这项授予麻省理工学院的初学者奖金将支持保拉·哈蒙德教授的研究。本研究的主题是新型光学和电光聚合物材料的设计、合成和表征。研究的第一部分集中于合成具有独特的线性和非线性光学和机械光学性质的块状液晶嵌段共聚物，这些光学和机械光学性质源于聚合物的可控形态。第二部分包括聚合物在表面上的图案化沉积，以利用微图案化的自组装单分子层作为模板来形成光学功能薄膜器件。液晶聚合物在光学开关或阀门、存储设备和其他电光设备应用中具有巨大的潜力。这项研究将利用特殊的形态来生产适用于设备应用的共聚物。

This starter grant award to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will support the research of Professor Paula Hammond. The theme of the research is the design, synthesis, and characterization of new optical and electro-optical polymeric materials. The first component of the research focuses on the synthesis of bulk liquid crystalline block copolymers with unique linear and nonlinear optical and mechano-optical properties derived from the controlled morphologies of the polymers. The second component involves the patterned deposition of polymers onto surfaces to form optically functional thin film devices utilizing micro-patterned self-assembled monolayers as a template. Liquid crystalline polymers have great potential for use in optical switches or valves, storage devices, and other electro-optic device applications. This research will exploit special morphologies to produce copolymers ideal for device applications.