RUI: Electroactive Composites of Biosourced Polymers, and Conducting Polymers Polymerized in a Confined Environment

第1部分：非技术总结从石油中提取的塑料通常不会随着时间的推移而降解，最终会被填埋。拟议的工作将使用特定的生物来源和可生物降解的塑料，并对其进行加工以获得导电复合材料，从而将其应用扩展到电子应用。 通过将合成限制在两个维度，首席研究员（PI）还将探索具有更少缺陷的导电塑料材料的合成，这些材料可能具有更高的固有电导率。利用这些材料，PI计划使用静电纺丝技术制造直径约为人类头发千分之一的纤维。 由这些纤维制造的器件和传感器与由相同材料的较厚膜制备的器件和传感器相比可具有上级操作性能。例如，传感器可能能够检测低浓度和较高速度的有毒气体。计划的研究是跨学科的，涉及材料科学，物理，化学，纳米科学和电子学。学生将接受多学科的培训，从而为他们进入劳动力市场提供多样化的技能。该项目还将侧重于教育和指导本科生，招收学生，并在科学和工程进行推广。 因此，它将增加来自科学和工程领域代表性不足群体的有研究经验的本科生人数。第二部分：主要研究者（PI）将与生物来源和可生物降解的可持续聚合物合作，并通过制造导电聚合物复合材料使其可用于电活性应用。此外，他计划在密闭环境中合成导电聚合物，在聚合过程中原位限制可能导致更少的链缺陷和最终更高的固有电导率。除了薄膜，电活性聚合物的纳米纤维也将通过温度依赖的电荷传输和介电弛豫研究来制造和表征。纳米纤维天然地具有用于电荷流动的受限环境，并且对这种纤维的研究可能导致减少的缺陷。电荷输运和电荷弛豫的基础研究结果将用于制备具有上级操作特性的器件和传感器。计划中的研究包括材料科学、物理学、化学、纳米科学和电子学的跨学科结合。它将为本科生提供良好的研究经验，从而为他们进入劳动力市场提供多样化的技能。该项目还将侧重于教育和指导本科生，招收学生，并在科学和工程进行推广。 该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

PART 1: NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYPlastics that are derived from petroleum typically do not degrade with time and eventually end up in landfills. The proposed work will use specific biosourced and biodegradable plastics and process them to obtain conducting composites, thereby extending their use to electronic applications. By confining the synthesis to two dimensions, the principal investigator (PI) will also explore synthesis of conducting plastic materials with fewer defects that may possess higher intrinsic conductivity. Using these materials, the PI plans to fabricate fibers having diameters roughly one-thousandth that of a human hair using an electrospinning technique. Devices and sensors fabricated from these fibers may then have superior operating properties compared to those prepared from thicker films of the same material. For example, sensors may be able to detect toxic gases at low concentrations and higher speeds. The planned research is interdisciplinary involving materials science, physics, chemistry, nanoscience, and electronics. Students will be trained in multiple disciplines thereby preparing them to enter the workforce with a diverse set of skills. This project will also focus on educating and mentoring undergraduates, recruiting students, and conducting outreach in science and engineering. It will thus increase the number of research-experienced undergraduates from underrepresented groups in science and engineering. PART 2: TECHNICAL SUMMARYThe principal investigator (PI) will work with sustainable polymers that are biosourced and biodegradable and render them usable for electroactive applications via fabrication of composites with conducting polymers. In addition, he plans to synthesize conducting polymers in a confined environment, where in-situ confinement during polymerization may lead to fewer chain defects and ultimately higher intrinsic conductivity. Besides thin films, nanofibers of the electro-active polymers will also be fabricated and characterized via temperature-dependent charge transport and dielectric relaxation studies. Nanofibers naturally possess a confined environment for charge flow, and studies on such fibers may lead to reduced defects. The results from the fundamental research on charge transport and charge relaxation will be used to prepare devices and sensors with superior operating characteristics. The planned research includes an interdisciplinary combination of materials science, physics, chemistry, nanoscience and electronics. It will provide undergraduates with a sound research experience thereby preparing them to enter the workforce with a diverse set of skills. This project will also focus on educating and mentoring undergraduates, recruiting students, and conducting outreach in science and engineering. It will thus increase the number of research-experienced undergraduates from underrepresented groups in science and engineering.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.