| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/A90848/01 |
| Title: |
THEORETICAL MODELLING IN THE MESOSCOPIC REGIME: HYPERBRANCHED POLYMERS, SURFACTANTS & BLOCK COPOLYMERS |
| Principal Investigator: |
Buzza, Dr DMA |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Physics and Astronomy |
| Organisation: |
University of Leeds |
| Scheme: |
Advanced Fellowship (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 October 1999 |
Ends: |
30 November 2005 |
Value (£): |
203,360
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Manufacturing |
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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The proposed research aims to model three classes of complex fluids:1. Hyperbranched polymers: these are highly branched polymers synthesised from a single stage condensation reaction of multifunctional monomers. They show many of the interesting properties of perfectly branched starburst dendrimers (e.g., a high number of exposed end-groups for medical applications) but are much cheaper to synthesise. Neither the statics nor the dynamics of these systems is well understood. I intend to model the structure and rheology of these systems using a self-consistent field model.2. Surfactant monolayers: the characterisation of the viscous and elastic properties of surfactant monolayers at a liquid interface (e.g., using surface light scattering) requires a correct underlying model for the interface. In a previous study, we constructed the first microscopic theory for insoluble surfactant monolayers. I intend to extend the model to include the effects of surfactant solubility and the internal dynamics of the monolayer.3. Block copolymers: the self assembly of block copolymers on nanoscale ordered structures is beginning to find commercial applications (e.g., in the construction of microelectronic devices). I intend to study the thermodynamics of self assembly of block copolymers with novel molecular architectures, namely, AB linear diblocks and A2B2 star block copolymers.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.leeds.ac.uk |