The Preparation and Characterization of Complex Nanostructured Materials

这项研究的目标包括开发制备独特的纳米尺度(5-100 nm)两亲性核-壳聚合物材料的方法，表征其化学、物理和微机械性能，并对其进行改性以促进纳米技术设备的进步。在过去的五年中，一种合成方法被优化以产生稳定的纳米球，这涉及到制备两亲性双嵌段共聚物，然后将共聚物组织成胶束组装，然后通过共价连接位于聚合物胶束外围的共聚链段来稳定自组装结构。接下来将致力于评估在表面的修饰、壳层的功能化、界面性质的探测和纳米结构的外围方面可以进行的化学控制，通过去除大部分或所有的核心材料将导致纳米胶囊样膜的发展。此外，圆柱形材料的合成可产生定义明确的复杂材料，这些材料基本上由具有特定特征和结构域的纳米尺度的单一大分子实体组成。在每一种情况下，新材料的制备都将与其组成、结构和物理性质的表征紧密结合，通过结合光谱技术(红外、固体核磁共振、荧光、UV-Vis)、透射电子显微镜和原子力显微镜。纳米结构材料可以被认为是亚微观粒子，可以作为药物或农业活性物质的结合、运输和释放的容器，或用于捕获环境污染物。它们还有望应用于目前使用较大乳胶粒子的许多领域，例如涂层、润滑剂、记录材料等，由于它们的尺寸较小和表面积与体积比较大，预计它们将显示出优异的性能。此外，该研究非常适合为学生提供从聚合物合成到超分子化学，再到材料科学的各种化学方面的经验和挑战。

Wooley9974457The objectives of the research involve the development of methods for the preparation of unique amphiphilic core-shell polymer materials of nanoscale dimensions (5-100 nm), characterization of their chemical, physical and micromechanical properties, and their modification for the advancement of nanotechnological devices. Over the past five years, a synthetic approach has been optimized to generate stable nanospheres, which involves the preparation of amphiphilic di-block copolymers, followed by organization of the copolymers into micellar assemblies, and then stabilization of the self-assembled structures through covalently linking together the copolymer segments located in the periphery of the polymer micelles. Efforts will next be devoted toward evaluation of the chemical control that can be exercised in modification of the surface, functionalization of the shell, probing of the interface properties, and periphery of the nanostructures, the development of nanocapsule-like membranes will result by removal of most or all of the core material. Additionally, the synthesis of cylindrically shaped production of well-defined complex materials, which consist essentially of single macromolecular entities of nanoscale dimensions that possess specified features and domains. In each case, the preparation of new materials will be closely coupled to characterization of their composition, structure, and physical properties, by a combination of spectroscopic techniques (infrared, solid-state NMR, fluorescence, UV-vis), transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy.The nanostructured materials can be considered to be sub-microscopic particles that can act as containers for binding, transport, and release of pharmaceutically or agriculturally active agents, or for the entrapment of environmental pollutants. They are also expected to be applicable in many areas that are currently employ larger latex particles, for example as coatings, lubricants, recording materials, etc., where they are expected to demonstrate superior performance, due to the smaller size and larger surface area-to-volume ratio. Furthermore, the research is ideally suited to provide students with experiences and challenges in various aspects of chemistry, from polymer synthesis, to supramolecular chemistry, to materials science.