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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/M97268/01
Title: BLOCK COPOLYMER MORPHOLOGIES AND THE KINETIC PATHWAYS BETWEEN THEM
Principal Investigator: Matsen, Professor MW
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Physics
Organisation: University of Reading
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 September 1999 Ends: 31 August 2002 Value (£): 45,448
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
An ever growing list of applications has generated substantial activity in the field of block copolymers. This is further motivated by the fact that block copolymers represent one of the most ideal systems in which to study molecular self-assembly phenomena. This is in large part a consequence of the advanced theoretical techniques for modelling polymeric behaviour. Consequently, our understanding of block copolymer melts is far more advanced than that of other systems exhibiting similar behaviour. Nevertheless, there is still one important structure, the perforated-lamellar (PL) phase, that is still poorly understood. Once the individual morphologies are well understood, block copolymers will offer an ideal system in which to explore other more involved aspects of self-assembly, such as kinetic pathways. The behaviour of complex liquids and biological systems are significantly influenced by the presence of low-energy kinetic pathways, and block copolymers offer the best system in which to study this issue as already demonstrated by preliminary work. Our programme will first develop a complete understanding of the PL phase and then will examine some important kinetic pathways in block copolymer melts.
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Organisation Website: http://www.rdg.ac.uk