Translocation and diffusion of polyelectrolytes and electronic conduction in polyelectrolyte systems

非技术：当一定数量的带电离子分散在咸溶液中，以链状的方式连接在一起时，该系统显示出诱人的性质，并附加了化学反应的调整。使用这些材料的例子包括尿布中水的高吸水性，使用合成平台靶向递送大型大分子（如基因），通过纳米流体装置引导带电大分子的运输，以及由水基溶液配制的聚电解质薄膜的高电子导电性。尽管带电聚合物在当今的材料世界中具有很高的重要性，但基本的理解是有限的。困难来自于同时作用于分子上的几个远程力，因此每个分子都能感觉到系统中几乎所有其他分子的存在。首席研究员建议将精心选择的模型系统的实验，计算机建模和先进的理论方法相结合，以解决聚电解质系统的几个相互关联的输运性质。该项目在对具有广泛技术相关性和用途的先进材料的基础科学理解方面提供了社会影响。拟议研究的主要组成部分之一是培养这一领域的下一代科学领袖，以满足日益增长的全球挑战和社会需求。技术：通过结合单分子电泳、光散射、流变学、统计力学、场论和几种模拟技术，提出了聚电解质动力学、聚电解质凝胶动力学和聚电解质系统中的导电性的实验和新理论的发展。将研究几种聚电解质的输运现象。具体来说，该项目涉及(a)合成支化聚电解质的易位，(b)聚电解质凝胶动力学和聚电解质在聚电解质凝胶中的扩散，以及(c)聚电解质系统中的电子传导。本项目旨在为不同结构的聚电解质建立一种新的分离技术，并发现聚电解质系统中聚电解质输运和电子输运的新概念模型。这项研究的结果将对许多应用领域产生影响，如超吸水产品、分离科学、分离技术的分子筛、药物输送平台、有机光伏器件、有机发光二极管、射频识别标签和抗静电涂料。在这一研究领域培养研究生是拟议活动的主要教育组成部分。

NON-TECHNICAL:When certain numbers of charged ions, dispersed in a salty solution, are connected together in a chain-like fashion, the system exhibits tantalizing properties with additional tuning of chemistry of reactions. Examples of use of these materials include super-absorbancy of water in diapers, targeted delivery of large macromolecules such as genes using synthetic platforms, guided transport of charged macromolecules through nano-fluidic devices, and high electronic conductivity of polyelectrolyte films formulated from water-based solutions. Despite the high importance of charged polymers in today's materials world, fundamental understanding is limited. The difficulty arises from several long-range forces acting on the molecules simultaneously so that each molecule feels the presence of almost every other molecule in the system. The Principal Investigator proposes to bring a combination of experiments on carefully chosen model systems, computer modeling, and advanced theoretical methods to address several interrelated transport properties of polyelectrolyte systems. The project offers societal impact in terms of fundamental scientific understanding of advanced materials of broad technological relevance and use. One of the major components of the proposed research is to train the next generation of scientific leaders in this area so as to meet the growing global challenges and societal needs.TECHNICAL:Experiments and development of new theories are proposed for polyelectrolyte dynamics, polyelectrolyte gel dynamics, and electrical conduction in polyelectrolyte systems, by combining single molecule electrophoresis, light scattering, rheology, statistical mechanics, field theory, and several simulation techniques. Several polyelectrolyte transport phenomena will be studied. Specifically, the project addresses (a) translocation of synthetic branched polyelectrolytes, (b) polyelectrolyte gel dynamics and diffusion of polyelectrolytes in polyelectrolyte gels, and (c) electronic conduction in polyelectrolyte systems. This project is aimed at building a new separation technique for polyelectrolytes with different architectures, and discovering new conceptual models for polyelectrolyte transport and electron transport in polyelectrolyte systems. The results of this research will have impact in numerous applied areas such as super-water absorbent goods, separation science, molecular sieves for separation techniques, drug delivery platforms, organic photovoltaic devices, organic light-emitting diodes, radio frequency identification tags, and antistatic coatings. Training of graduate students in this research area is the primary educational component of the proposed activity.