RII Track-4: NSF: Elucidating heterogeneous single chain conformation and dynamics in thin films through optical imaging

RII Track-4：NSF：通过光学成像阐明薄膜中的异质单链构象和动力学

• 批准号: 2132144
• 负责人: Zhe Qiang
• 金额: $ 19.64万
• 依托单位: University of Southern Mississippi
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-02-01 至 2025-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2132144&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RII; Track; NSF; Elucidating; heterogeneous

Polymer thin films are indispensable in a wide range of nanotechnologies. For some applications, their thickness needs to be less than the size of a polymer molecule. However, films with such thickness can have substantially different material properties relative to their bulk analogs. Understanding the fundamental structure-property relationship of polymer thin films is crucial for enabling their rational design. In this project, the PI and a female graduate student from the University of Southern Mississippi will work with experts at Rice University. The team will directly elucidate how nanoscale confinement alters polymer chain microstructures, mobility, and system heterogeneity through advanced optical imaging methods. This project will strengthen single-molecule imaging capabilities in the PI’s group and develop new collaborations between institutions. These resources will be leveraged to improve the research infrastructures in Mississippi, as well as to develop new course and workshop materials for educating future STEM researchers and enhancing community outreach. The overarching goal of this RII Track-4 fellowship project is to obtain a complete, molecular-level understanding about thin film confinement effects on polymer chain dynamics and conformations through real-space, real-time imaging. Specifically, single-particle tracking (SPT) and single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (sm-FRET) methods will be employed for characterizing polymer mobility and their end-to-end distances as functions of film thickness and matrix molecular weight. Both imaging techniques are uniquely suited for simultaneously examining hundreds of individual molecules. The combined use of SPT and sm-FRET in this project will elucidate heterogenous chain behaviors of polymer thin films, which are particularly important for informing their efficient system design. Furthermore, this fellowship program will establish a platform to advance optical imaging capabilities in the PI’s home institution and the state of Mississippi.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.

聚合物薄膜在多种纳米技术中都是必不可少的。对于某些应用，它们的厚度需要小于聚合物分子的大小。但是，具有如此厚度的膜相对于其散装类似物具有实质上不同的材料特性。了解聚合物薄膜的基本结构 - 性关系关系对于实现其理性设计至关重要。在这个项目中，密西西比大学的PI和女研究生将与赖斯大学的专家合作。该团队将直接阐明纳米级限制如何通过先进的光学成像方法来改变聚合物链微观结构，移动性和系统异质性。该项目将增强PI小组中的单分子成像功能，并在机构之间发展新的合作。这些资源将被利用以改善密西西比州的研究基础设施，并开发新课程和研讨会材料，以教育未来的STEM研究人员并增强社区外展。这个RII Track-4奖学金项目的总体目标是通过实时的实时成像获得对薄膜限制对聚合物链动力学和考虑因素的完整，分子级的理解。具体而言，单粒子跟踪（SPT）和单分子Förster共振能量转移（SM-FRET）方法将是表征聚合物迁移率及其端到端距离作为膜厚度和基质分子量的功能的员工。两种成像技术都非常适合简单检查数百个单独的分子。在该项目中，SPT和SM-FRET的联合使用将阐明聚合物薄膜的异质链行为，这对于告知其有效的系统设计尤为重要。此外，该奖学金计划将建立一个平台，以提高PI的家庭机构和密西西比州的状态。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准通过评估而被视为珍贵的支持。

项目成果

Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Measurements in Polymer Science: A Review

• DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200421
• 发表时间: 2022-06-24
• 期刊: MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
• 影响因子: 4.6
• 作者: Valdez，Sara;Robertson，Mark;Qiang，Zhe
• 通讯作者: Qiang，Zhe