Nanomaterials for optical applications: luminescent nanoparticles and the organization of nanoparticles in polymer matrices

这项研究计划的长期目标是开发具有独特光学特性的新材料。研究将集中在发光纳米粒子、有序排列金属纳米粒子的等离子体耦合和金属增强荧光的研究上。两种类型的发光粒子将被考虑：镧系盐的纳米晶体和掺杂聚合物粒子。未来的研究还将集中于发展控制聚合物中纳米颗粒的结合和组织的策略。本研究将分为两部分。第一个涉及在嵌段共聚物模板上制造有序的二维纳米颗粒阵列。在这样的系统中，在分子水平上的相分离可以导致高度有序的图案表面显示出与组成块的分子量相关的畴大小。拟议的研究将涉及研究金属纳米颗粒在这些有序结构中的组织。第二种混合系统涉及将纳米颗粒（金属和磁性）掺入乳液聚合制备的聚合物纳米颗粒中。这条路线对于在单个粒子中合并决斗功能特别有吸引力。例如，同时掺杂金属粒子和发光物质的粒子将被制备用于等离子体增强荧光的研究。该计划的一个重要的统一主题是将功能纳米颗粒引入聚合物基质。因此，希望这项研究将为这种混合材料的制备提供深入的见解，超越这里所针对的特定系统。

The long term objective of this research program is the development of new materials with unique optical properties. Research will focus on the investigation of luminescent nanoparticles, plasmon coupling in ordered arrays of metal nanoparticles and metal enhanced fluorescence. Two types of luminescent particles will be considered: nanocrystals of lanthanide salts and doped polymer particles. Future research will also focus on the development of strategies for controlling the incorporation and organisation of nanoparticles within polymers. This research will be divided into two parts. The first involves the fabrication of ordered two-dimensional nanoparticles arrays on block copolymer templates. In such systems, phase separation at the molecular level can lead to highly ordered patterned surfaces exhibiting domain sizes that are related to the molecular weight of the constituent blocks. The proposed research will involve the study of the organisation of metal nanoparticles within these ordered structures. The second hybrid system involves the incorporation of nanoparticles (metal and magnetic) within polymer nanoparticles prepared by emulsion polymerisation. This route is particularly attractive for the incorporation of duel functionality within a single particle. For example, particles doped with both metallic particles and a luminescent species will be prepared for the study of plasmon enhanced fluorescence. An important unifying theme of the proposed program is the introduction of functional nanoparticles into polymer matrices. It is therefore hoped that the research will provide insight into the preparation of such hybrid materials that reaches beyond the specific systems targeted here.