Tapered Block Copolymers: Interfacial Manipulation and Nanoscale Network Formation in Bulk and Thin Film Materials

锥形嵌段共聚物：块状和薄膜材料中的界面操纵和纳米级网络形成

• 批准号: 1207041
• 负责人: Thomas Epps
• 金额: $ 36万
• 依托单位: University of Delaware
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-05-01 至 2016-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1207041&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Tapered; Block; Copolymers; Interfacial; Manipulation

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:As future technological progress necessitates the design and control of nanoscale membranes, new methods for the creation of tailored materials with tunable morphology, processability, transport properties, and mechanical properties must be perfected. Unfortunately, many designer systems require a tradeoff between incorporating the desired chemical constituents and obtaining the optimal chemical, transport, and mechanical properties. To overcome this dilemma, the Epps group is developing interfacially-modified triblock copolymer systems, with a specific focus on network-forming materials, through the chemical manipulation of the internal (block-to-block) junctions using compositional tapers. These interfacial manipulations (tapered junctions) will allow decoupling of the influence of chemical constituents and molecular weight from self-assembly and thermal transitions, providing greater versatility in designing these soft materials. Such triblock copolymers are capable of self-assembling into co-continuous network structures, making them ideal candidates for nanoscale devices. The combination of triblocks and tapered block copolymers can produce high-molecular-weight network systems with improved mechanical properties (e.g. entangled polymer chains), where tapering between the blocks allows for the controlled tuning of effective interaction parameters and nanoscale interfacial mixing. Further, by developing greater control over interfacial interactions, the Epps group will generate new nanostructured materials for applications such as conducting membranes, separation membranes, and nanoscale templates. This control will facilitate the development of universal protocols for the generation of stable, processable, and tunable networks for bulk membrane and thin-film nanoscale applications. Such nanoscale networks utilizing tapered block copolymers may also be helpful for alternative energy, data storage, and biological applications. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:As future technological progress necessitates the design and control of nanoscale membranes, new methods for the creation of tailored materials with tunable morphology, processability, transport properties, and mechanical properties must be perfected. Unfortunately, many designer systems require a tradeoff between incorporating the desired chemical constituents and obtaining the optimal chemical, transport, and mechanical properties. To overcome this dilemma, the Epps group is developing chemical synthesis methods to control the nanometer scale (1/1000th the width of a human hair) interfaces in membrane materials to permit the independent tuning of those chemical, transport, and mechanical properties. By using specially modified complex polymers to enable the design, synthesis, and stabilization of nanoscale interfaces, novel materials for analytical separation membranes, ion-conduction membranes, and nanoscale templates may be developed for alternative energy, data storage, and biological applications. Additionally, this interdisciplinary project will train students to address key scientific and engineering challenges in nanotechnology. Students will explore aspects of chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science, placing them at the forefront of nanotechnology research. Outreach activities directly related to the project include providing multidisciplinary summer research and mentorship opportunities in Epps' labs for American Chemical Society (ACS) Minority Scholars Program undergraduates and ACS Project SEED (economically-disadvantaged) high school students. The PI has been active in activities involving underrepresented groups in science and will continue to do so throughout this project.

技术摘要：随着未来的技术进步需要对纳米级膜的设计和控制，必须完善具有可调形态，可加工性，传输性能和机械性能的定制材料的新方法。 不幸的是，许多设计师系统需要在合并所需的化学成分和获得最佳化学，运输和机械性能之间进行权衡。 为了克服这一难题，EPPS组正在通过使用组合式磁带对内部（块到块）连接的化学操纵来开发对网络形成材料的特定重点，并针对网络形成材料进行了特定的重点。 这些界面操作（锥形连接）将使化学成分和分子量的影响与自组装和热过渡的影响脱钩，从而在设计这些软材料时提供了更大的多功能性。 这种三嵌段共聚物能够自组装成共连接的网络结构，使其成为纳米级设备的理想候选者。 三嵌段和锥形块共聚物的组合可以产生具有改进的机械性能（例如纠缠聚合物链）的高分子重量网络系统，其中块之间的锥度可以控制有效的相互作用参数和纳米级互动参数。 此外，通过对界面相互作用进行更大的控制，EPPS组将生成用于应用膜，分离膜和纳米级模板等应用的新纳米结构材料。 该控制将有助于开发通用协议，以生成稳定，可加工和可调网络，用于散装膜和薄膜纳米级应用。 这种利用锥形块共聚物的纳米级网络也可能有助于替代能源，数据存储和生物应用。非技术摘要：由于未来的技术进步需要纳米级膜的设计和控制，因此必须完善具有可调形态，可加工性，传输性能和机械性能的定制材料的新方法。 不幸的是，许多设计师系统需要在合并所需的化学成分和获得最佳化学，运输和机械性能之间进行权衡。 为了克服这一难题，EPPS组正在开发化学合成方法，以控制膜材料中纳米尺度（1/1000的人毛的宽度），以允许对这些化学，运输和机械性能的独立调整。 通过使用特殊修饰的复杂聚合物来启用纳米级界面的设计，合成和稳定，可以开发用于替代能量，数据存储和生物学应用的新型材料，用于分析分离膜，离子传导膜和纳米级模板。 此外，这个跨学科项目将培训学生应对纳米技术方面的关键科学和工程挑战。 学生将探索化学，化学工程和材料科学方面的各个方面，将它们置于纳米技术研究的最前沿。 与该项目直接相关的外展活动包括在美国化学学会的EPP实验室（ACS）少数民族学者计划的本科生和ACS Project Project SEED（经济待遇）高中生提供多学科的夏季研究和指导机会。 PI一直积极参与涉及科学中代表性不足的群体的活动，并将在整个项目中继续这样做。