NIRT: Engineering Conducting Polymer Nanofibers for Advanced Applications

技术概述：导电聚合物和纳米科学这两个新兴领域的交叉为制造非常敏感的传感器、高密度记忆存储设备和人造肌肉提供了令人兴奋的机会。我们新开发的导电聚合物聚苯胺超小直径纤维的制备工艺为该项目提供了基础。纳米纤维将在纳米尺度上装饰上功能分子、纳米颗粒和聚合物。涂层工艺将被开发以形成均匀的纳米纤维薄膜。这些薄膜将被用来制造传感器，利用导电聚合物纳米纤维可能产生的电导率快速变化。合适的添加剂将被分散到聚苯胺纳米纤维网络中，以定制纳米纤维与分析物之间的相互作用，极大地提高它们对有毒化学物质的灵敏度和选择性。将探索基于金属纳米颗粒装饰的聚苯胺纳米纤维可以写入、读取、存储和擦除信息的非易失性分子存储器件。人们发现，普通的相机闪光灯可以使纳米纤维薄膜焊接在一起。这种被称为闪光焊接的过程将被用于将传统聚合物焊接在一起，在导电聚合物和传统聚合物之间创建复合材料，形成图案化的结构，并制造“人造肌肉”。人造肌肉是一种机械执行器，它通过扩张或收缩来对化学或电化学刺激做出反应。向公众传播信息和对各级学生(K-12、本科生、研究生和博士后)进行有效培训是这项提议产生广泛影响的最重要方式。我们的计划是让学生学习开发导电聚合物纳米纤维的方方面面，从合成和表征到制造和测试设备。我们的跨学科研究不仅涉及加州大学洛杉矶分校的科学家和工程师，还包括行业、国家实验室和国际合作，这将为我们的学生提供特殊的教育机会，这将为他们未来的努力提供良好的服务。参与该项目的所有学生和教职员工将通过外展活动将他们对科学的热情带给公众。非技术总结：导电聚合物和纳米科学这两个新兴领域的交叉为制造非常敏感的传感器、高密度记忆存储设备和人造肌肉提供了令人兴奋的机会。我们新开发的导电聚合物聚苯胺超小直径纤维的制备工艺为该项目提供了基础。传感器将利用导电聚合物纳米纤维可能产生的导电性快速变化。添加剂将分散到聚苯胺纳米纤维网络中，以提高其对有毒化学物质的选择性。将探索基于金属纳米颗粒装饰的聚苯胺纳米纤维可以写入、读取、存储和擦除信息的非易失性分子存储器件。人们发现，普通的相机闪光灯可以使纳米纤维薄膜焊接在一起。这种被称为闪光焊接的工艺将被用于将传统聚合物焊接在一起，在导电聚合物和传统聚合物之间制造复合材料，形成图案化的结构，并制造人造肌肉。向公众传播信息和对各级学生(K-12、本科生、研究生和博士后)进行有效培训是这项提议产生广泛影响的最重要方式。我们的计划是让学生学习开发导电聚合物纳米纤维的方方面面，从合成和表征到制造和测试设备。我们的跨学科研究不仅涉及加州大学洛杉矶分校的科学家和工程师，还包括行业、国家实验室和国际合作，这将为我们的学生提供特殊的教育机会，这将为他们未来的努力提供良好的服务。所有参与这个项目的学生和教职员工都将通过外展活动将他们对科学的热情带给公众。

TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The intersection between the emerging fields of conducting polymers and nanoscience offers exciting opportunities to make very sensitive sensors, high-density memory storage devices and artificial muscles. Our newly developed process for making ultra-small diameter fibers of the conducting polymer polyaniline provides the basis for this project. The nanofibers will be decorated with functional molecules, nanoparticles and polymers at the nanometer scale. Coating processes will be developed to form uniform nanofiber films. These films will be used to make sensors that exploit the rapid change in electrical conductivity possible with conducting polymer nanofibers. Suitable additives will be dispersed into polyaniline nanofiber networks to tailor the interaction between nanofibers and analytes, greatly enhancing their sensitivity and selectivity for sensing toxic chemicals. Non-volatile molecular memory devices that can write, read, store and erase information based on polyaniline nanofibers decorated with metal nanoparticles will be explored. An ordinary camera flash has been found to cause a film of nanofibers to weld together. This process, called flash welding, will be used to weld conventional polymers together, to create composites between conducting and traditional polymers, to form patterned structures and to create "artificial muscles". Artificial muscles are a type of mechanical actuator that responds to a chemical or electrochemical stimulus by expanding or contracting. Disseminating information to the public and effective training of students at all levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral) are the most important ways in which this proposal will have broad impact. Our plan is to have students learn every aspect of developing conducting polymer nanofibers from synthesis and characterization to building and testing devices. Our interdisciplinary research involving scientists and engineers from not only UCLA but also industry, the national labs and international collaborations will provide our students with exceptional educational opportunities that will serve them well in their future endeavors. All students and faculty involved in this project will bring their enthusiasm for science to the public through outreach activities.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The intersection between the emerging fields of conducting polymers and nanoscience offers exciting opportunities to make very sensitive sensors, high-density memory storage devices and artificial muscles. Our newly developed process for making ultra-small diameter fibers of the conducting polymer polyaniline provides the basis for this project. Sensors will be constructed that exploit the rapid change in electrical conductivity possible with conducting polymer nanofibers. Additives will be dispersed into the polyaniline nanofiber networks to enhance their selectivity for sensing toxic chemicals. Non-volatile molecular memory devices that can write, read, store and erase information based on polyaniline nanofibers decorated with metal nanoparticles will be explored. An ordinary camera flash has been found to cause a film of nanofibers to weld together. This process, called flash welding, will be used to weld conventional polymers together, to create composites between conducting and traditional polymers, to form patterned structures and to create artificial muscles. Disseminating information to the public and effective training of students at all levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral) are the most important ways in which this proposal will have broad impact. Our plan is to have students learn every aspect of developing conducting polymer nanofibers from synthesis and characterization to building and testing devices. Our interdisciplinary research involving scientists and engineers from not only UCLA but also industry, the national labs and international collaborations will provide our students with exceptional educational opportunities that will serve them well in their future endeavors. All students and faculty involved in this project will bring their enthusiasm for science to the public through outreach activities.