Light Scattering in Complex Ternary Polymer Solutions US-Turkey Cooperative Research

描述：该项目支持路易斯安那州立大学化学系的Paul S. Russo博士和土耳其安卡拉中东技术大学化学系的Zuhal Kucukyavuz博士和Savas Kucukyavuz博士的合作。在这次合作中，他们将研究三元聚合物溶液的相稳定性和动力学。要研究的具体类别将是刚性棒状聚合物和柔性聚合物在共同溶剂中混合在一起的系统。这种系统代表了分子复合材料的前体，其中随机线圈聚合物被纤维状棒状聚合物强化。光散射研究将在特别选择的原型系统上进行，特别关注由长烷基侧链多肽制成的“模糊棒”。长侧链使模糊棒具有良好的稳定性，当它们强烈散射时，将在四氢呋喃中研究。随机线圈成分将是聚二甲基硅氧烷，它在四氢呋喃中散射很弱。聚二甲基硅氧烷将在安卡拉的METU制备和表征。光散射测量将在路易斯安那州立大学巴吞鲁日分校进行。范围：该项目支持的合作对美国和土耳其都是有益的，因为它允许两位科学家利用他们的互补能力来提高他们的研究效率。Russo博士目前由美国国家科学基金会材料研究部支持进行主要研究。INT提供的资金将用于合作产生的增量费用。

Description: This project supports a collaboration by Dr. Paul S. Russo, of the Chemistry Department at Louisiana State University (LSU) and Dr. Zuhal Kucukyavuz and Dr. Savas Kucukyavuz of the Chemistry Department at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey. In this collaboration they will study the phase stability and dynamics of ternary polymer solutions. The specific classes to be investigated will be systems where rigid rodlike polymers and flexible polymers are mixed together in a common solvent. Such systems represent precursors to molecular composites wherein a random coil polymer is strengthened by the fibrous, rodlike polymer. Light scattering studies will be conducted on specially selected prototype systems, with special attention given to `fuzzy rods` made from polypeptides with long alkyl sidechains. The long sidechains impart good stability to the fuzzy rods, which will be studied in tetrahydrofuran when they scatter strongly. The random coil component will be polydimethysiloxanes, which scatters only weakly in tetrahydrofuran. Polydimethylsiloxanes will be prepared and characterized at the METU in Ankara. Light scattering measurements will be performed at LSU in Baton Rouge. Scope : The collaboration to be supported in this project is useful to the US and to Turkey because it allows the two scientists to use their complementary capabilities to enhance the effectiveness of their research. Dr. Russo is currently supported by NSF's Division of Material Research for the primary research. The funds provided by INT will be used for the incremental costs resulting from the collaboration.