Soft Materials Research Center

软材料研究中心

• 批准号: 1420736
• 负责人: Noel Clark
• 金额: $ 1200万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-11-01 至 2021-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1420736&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Soft; Materials; Research; Center

****Nontechnical abstract****The research of the Soft Materials Research Center, SMRC is organized into two Interdisciplinary Research Groups: Liquid Crystal Frontiers (LCF), and Click Nucleic Acids (CNA). LCF research is directed toward the creation, understanding, development, and application of novel soft materials, with liquid crystal ordering as an underlying theme. This IRG expands the horizons and application of LC science in exciting new ways, evolving materials that are active, functional, and responsive. These attributes, long appreciated in LCs, including LC display electro-optics, will be sought in new structural manifestations and applications of soft materials. The CNA IRG proposes an exciting new area that uses broadly accessible thiol-ene click chemistries, a family of chemistries know for their robust, clean reactions, to link nucleic acids thus developing synthetic analogs of DNA called CNAs. An advantage of CNAs is that they have a greater range of chemical properties than those exhibited by natural nucleic acids. The SMRC operates and continues to develop nationally recognized education outreach activities directed toward the enhancement of science literacy and achievement. These include Materials Science from CU, K-12 traveling science classes that have reached ~80,000 CO students; Pathways Programs which facilitate the passage of under-represented minority students from high school to undergraduate success, and partnerships with under-represented minority-serving undergraduate institutions transitioning undergraduate students toward STEM graduate careers. The Center has nucleated a vibrant Boulder/Denver industrial activity of LC-related start-up and spin-off companies, many employing Center graduates, with achievements that include commercialization of LC-On-Si (LCOS) microdisplays.****Technical abstract****The Liquid Crystal Frontiers (LCF), and Click Nucleic Acids (CNA) IRGs meld materials design, synthesis, modeling, and physical study into a seamless web that drives and facilitates the evolution of new materials. Of particular interest in LCF research are new LC structural themes that exploit the interplay of chirality and polarity, such as the heliconical nematic and helical nanofilament phases; novel LC phases of colloidal plates and rods including ferromagnetic nematics; LC interaction with topologically complex colloids; nanoporous LC polymers for electrolytes and organic photovoltaics; active interfacial LCs for biodetection; chromonic LC mixtures; and hierarchical self-assembly of nanoDNA. IRG2, the CNA IRG, will pursue the opportunities presented by CNA with a synthetic approach that focuses on the development of highly scalable synthetic processes for CNAs, on expansion of the base alphabets, and on control of the backbone and side chains to tailor molecular compatibility. The CNA self-assembly thrust will emphasize taking advantage of the enhanced programmability and design flexibility afforded by CNAs, in applications including nanotemplating and nanopatterning, nanoparticle organization, block copolymers, and hydrogels. The SMRC operates and continues to develop nationally recognized education outreach activities directed toward the enhancement of science literacy and achievement. The Center has nucleated a vibrant Boulder/Denver industrial activity of LC-related start-up and spin-off companies, many employing Center graduates, with achievements that include commercialization of LC-On-Si (LCOS) microdisplays.

****非技术摘要****SMRC软材料研究中心的研究分为两个跨学科研究组：液晶前沿（LCF）和点击核酸（CNA）。 LCF研究致力于新型软材料的创造、理解、开发和应用，以液晶有序化为基本主题。该 IRG 以令人兴奋的新方式拓展了液晶科学的视野和应用，不断发展出活性、功能性和响应性的材料。 这些属性在液晶（包括液晶显示电光）中长期受到重视，将在软材料的新结构表现和应用中寻求。 CNA IRG 提出了一个令人兴奋的新领域，该领域使用广泛使用的硫醇-烯点击化学（这一化学家族以其强大、清洁的反应而闻名）来连接核酸，从而开发称为 CNA 的 DNA 合成类似物。 CNA 的一个优点是它们具有比天然核酸更广泛的化学性质。 SMRC 开展并继续开展全国认可的教育推广活动，旨在提高科学素养和成就。其中包括 CU 的材料科学、K-12 巡回科学课程，已覆盖约 80,000 名 CO 学生；衔接计划促进代表性不足的少数族裔学生从高中到本科的成功，并与代表性不足的少数族裔本科院校合作，帮助本科生向 STEM 研究生职业转型。该中心已成为博尔德/丹佛充满活力的 LC 相关初创公司和衍生公司的工业活动的核心，许多雇用中心毕业生，取得的成就包括 LC-On-Si (LCOS) 微显示器的商业化。****技术摘要****液晶前沿 (LCF) 和点击核酸 (CNA) IRG 将材料设计、合成、建模和物理研究融合到一个无缝网络中，推动和促进新材料的发展。 LCF 研究特别感兴趣的是利用手性和极性相互作用的新 LC 结构主题，例如螺旋向列相和螺旋纳米丝相；胶体板和棒的新型液晶相，包括铁磁向列相；液晶与拓扑复杂胶体的相互作用；用于电解质和有机光伏发电的纳米多孔液晶聚合物；用于生物检测的活性界面液晶；发色液晶混合物；以及纳米DNA的分层自组装。 IRG2（即 CNA IRG）将利用合成方法抓住 CNA 提供的机遇，重点开发 CNA 的高度可扩展的合成工艺、扩展基本字母表以及控制主链和侧链以定制分子相容性。 CNA 自组装重点将强调在纳米模板和纳米图案化、纳米粒子组织、嵌段共聚物和水凝胶等应用中利用 CNA 提供的增强的可编程性和设计灵活性。 SMRC 开展并继续开展全国认可的教育推广活动，旨在提高科学素养和成就。该中心已成为博尔德/丹佛充满活力的工业活动的核心，由与液晶相关的初创公司和衍生公司组成，许多公司雇用了该中心的毕业生，取得的成就包括硅基液晶 (LCOS) 微显示器的商业化。