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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/N12206/01
Title: FERROELECTRIC SIDE CHAIN LIQUID CRYSTAL BLOCK COPOLYMERS
Principal Investigator: Imrie, Professor C
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Chemistry
Organisation: University of Aberdeen
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 December 2000 Ends: 31 January 2003 Value (£): 109,958
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Synthesis & Growth
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Electronics No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
We will exploit the self-organisation properties of block copolymers into structures with nanometre lengthscales to control the orientatino of mesognes in a new class of side chain liquid crystal block copolymer. These materials will be synthesised with a non-mesogenic coil block and a block containing chiral pendant side chain mesogneic groups. These will be synthesised by anionic and cationic polymerisation, ensuring narrow polydispersity model materials. The spacer length will be varied to control the coupling between polymer and liquid crystal properties. The phase behavious of the materials will be investigated with the objective of controlling mesogenic orientation within the lamellar structure formed by block copolymer microphase separation. The rheology of the polymers will be studied, with the aim of investigating the effect of mesogne orientation on the flow behavious of the block copolymer. The conformation of the polymer chain in polymers with different spacer lengths will be determined using small-angle neutron scattering. Finally, thin films of the block copolymers will be prepared and the strucutre probed using x-ray and neutron reflectivity, as well as AFM.
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Organisation Website: http://www.abdn.ac.uk