CAREER: Telechelic triblock copolymers as a platform to design functional colloidal gels

职业：遥爪三嵌段共聚物作为设计功能性胶体凝胶的平台

• 批准号: 2339052
• 负责人: Ryan Poling-Skutvik
• 金额: $ 58.99万
• 依托单位: University of Rhode Island
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-02-15 至 2029-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2339052&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Telechelic; triblock; copolymers; platform

Colloidal gels are a unique class of materials that behave like either solids or liquids depending on processing conditions. This flexibility makes them essential for developing the next generation of battery technology, enabling additive manufacturing processes, and mimicking the performance of biological materials. In most gels, however, the solid-like and liquid-like properties are dependent on each other, drastically limiting their utility in industrial and scientific applications. To address this critical knowledge gap, this award aims to design gels with independent elasticity and viscosity by using polymer additives. These specific polymers possess endgroups that bind to dispersed colloids to generate stiff solid-like materials that readily break down during processing to create low viscosity fluids. This approach will result in efficient and cost-effective materials comprised primarily of solvent but with mechanical properties comparable to high performance engineering materials. The properties of these polymer-linked gels will be tuned and optimized by manipulating polymer chemistry and characterized using optical microscopy and novel rheological procedures. Additionally, this project will engage in targeted outreach efforts focused on recruiting and retaining LGBTQ+ youth in STEM fields to offset persistently low participation rates. Outreach efforts will include hands-on experiential workshops conducted in collaboration with local community organizations, role model introductions and mentorship, and the development of a STEM-focused support network for LGBTQ+ students at the University of Rhode Island. Colloidal gels are complex soft materials encountered throughout scientific and industrial applications ranging from slurries for battery production to synthetic scaffolds for tissue engineering and to inks for 3D printing. The performance of these materials depends critically on the interplay between structural and dynamical effects that underlie their emergent properties. Although many applications require competing design constraints such as robust mechanical stiffness but rapid mass transfer, the properties of most existing colloidal systems remain coupled, reducing synthetic flexibility and limiting their design. This experimental investigation of a novel class of rheological modifiers – telechelic triblock copolymers – aims to decouple the linear and nonlinear mechanical properties of colloidal gels. The chemistry of the triblock copolymers will be manipulated to generate extended conformations that promote bridge formation and drive colloidal self-assembly. Additionally, the resulting structural and dynamic heterogeneity in the polymer-linked gels will be characterized and these hierarchical properties related to nanoscale transport. Finally, the linear and nonlinear rheology of polymer-linked colloidal suspensions will be characterized using novel rheological protocols to identify high-performance yield stress fluids. These fundamental research aims will be integrated into a comprehensive educational and outreach plan that engages LGBTQ+ youth in Rhode Island.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.

胶体凝胶是一类独特的材料，根据加工条件，其行为类似于固体或液体，这种灵活性使得它们对于开发下一代电池技术、实现增材制造工艺以及模仿大多数凝胶的生物材料性能至关重要。然而，类固体和类液体的特性相互依赖，极大地限制了它们在工业和科学应用中的实用性。为了解决这一关键知识差距，该奖项旨在通过使用聚合物添加剂来设计具有独立弹性和粘度的凝胶。 .这些具体聚合物具有与分散胶体结合的端基，产生坚硬的固体状材料，这些材料在加工过程中很容易分解，形成低粘度流体。这种方法将产生主要由溶剂组成的高效且具有成本效益的材料，但其机械性能可与高性能相媲美。这些聚合物连接的凝胶的特性将通过操纵聚合物化学进行调整和优化，并使用光学显微镜和新颖的流变程序进行表征。此外，该项目还将开展有针对性的推广工作，重点是招募和保留。为了弥补 STEM 领域 LGBTQ+ 青年参与率持续较低的影响，外展工作将包括与当地社区组织合作举办的实践体验研讨会、榜样介绍和指导，以及为 LGBTQ+ 学生建立一个以 STEM 为重点的支持网络。罗德岛大学。胶体凝胶是科学和工业应用中遇到的复杂软材料，从电池生产的浆料到组织工程的合成支架和 3D 打印的墨水，这些材料的性能很大程度上取决于它们之间的相互作用。尽管许多应用需要竞争性的设计约束，例如强大的机械刚度和快速的传质，但大多数现有胶体系统的特性仍然是耦合的，从而降低了合成的灵活性并限制了它们的设计。新型流变改性剂——遥爪三嵌段共聚物——旨在解耦胶体凝胶的线性和非线性机械性能，将操纵三嵌段共聚物的化学性质以产生促进的扩展构象。此外，将表征聚合物连接的凝胶中所产生的结构和动态异质性，以及与纳米级传输相关的这些分层特性，最后，将描述聚合物连接的胶体悬浮液的线性和非线性流变学。其特点是使用新颖的流变学方案来识别高性能屈服应力流体。这些基础研究目标将被纳入一项让罗德岛州 LGBTQ+ 青年参与的综合教育和推广计划。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定规定。使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。