Theory of hierarchically structured soft matter

该研究计划的重点是发展新的概念，理论框架和方法，用于研究从大分子系统自组装的分层结构软物质。将使用嵌段共聚物作为主要模型系统进行研究。嵌段共聚物是由两个或更多个化学上不同的子链或嵌段组成的大分子。不同嵌段之间的排斥和链连接之间的竞争驱动这些大分子形成具有不同尺寸和形状的纳米尺寸域的有序结构或形态。例如，最近的实验和理论已经证明嵌段共聚物可以自组装成具有五种不同形状的域的极其复杂的球形填充相（所谓的Frank-Casper σ相）。嵌段共聚物形成具有非常不同的物理性质的域的良好有序的纳米结构的能力提供了一个强大的平台，以工程师和控制具有所需形态的材料。这些分层纳米结构聚合物材料可以有许多有用的应用，包括用于光子晶体的周期性有序软材料、用于药物输送的纳米囊泡以及用于下一代光刻的亚纳米图案。该研究计划的目标是发展基于分子的理论，以理解和预测分层结构软物质的出现，稳定性和物理特性。

This proposed research program focuses on the development of new concepts, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies for the study of hierarchically structured soft matter self-assembled from macromolecular systems. The study will be carried out using block copolymers as a primary model system. Block copolymers are macromolecules composed of two or more chemically distinct sub-chains or blocks. The competition between the repulsion between the different blocks and the chain connectivity drives these macromolecules to form ordered structures or morphologies with nanometer-sized domains of different sizes and shapes. For example, recent experiment and theory have demonstrated that block copolymers can self-assemble into an extremely complex spherical packing phase (the so-called Frank-Casper σ-phase) with five types of domains of different shapes. The ability of block copolymers to form well-ordered nanostructures with domains of very different physical properties provides a powerful platform to engineer and control materials with desirable morphologies. These hierarchically nanostructured polymeric materials could have many useful applications, including periodically ordered soft materials for photonic crystals, nanosized vesicles for drug delivery, and sub-nanometer patterns for next-generation lithography. The objective of this proposed research program is to develop molecule-based theories to understand and predict the emergence, stability, and physical properties of hierarchically structured soft matter.