Titre :Polymers with Complex Architectures: Unimolecular Micelles, Organogels, and Crystalline Frameworks
Endroit: Salle G-615, Pavillon Roger-Gaudry
Résumé:
Polymeric materials are capable of utilization for nearly endless applications thanks to their rich variety of functionality and diverse architectures.
First, amphiphilic polymer particles with hollow cores will be discussed, highlighting the synthetic strategy, and their application as concentration independent oil dispersants. To create these particles, polymer brushes are grown from silica nanoparticles, which in our efforts exhibited highly unusual behavior, which will be discussed in detail. In addition to hollow polymer nanoparticles, a vastly different polymer architecture, but one still capable of high loading of hydrocarbons namely polymer gels were explored. Specifically, the technique of cavitation rheology will be discussed as a means to characterize these novel materials.
Second, we will transition to discuss metal-binding polymers, in particular a highly unique class of material known as polyMOFs. These highly crystalline materials are formed from completely amorphous polymers through complexation with metal oxide clusters. Specifically, we will show how polymer block architecture affects the remarkable morphologies in these materials and also how high-resolution electron microscopy can reveal the structural interior of these assemblies.
Finally, thermal processing of polyMOFs in the absence of solvent will be discussed as a means towards melt-processing of highly functional polymer materials.
