Polymer Ligated Monodisperse Nanocrystals Enabled by Rationally Designed Nonlinear Block Copolymers
Abstract
Breakthrough strategies that will facilitate the design and synthesis of a large diversity of nanocrystals with controllable size, shape, and properties are of key importance in revolutionarily advancing the use of nanocrystals for a myriad of applications. The goal of this proposal is to develop general and robust strategies for precision synthesis of a rich variety of monodisperse nanocrystals with accurate control over their dimensions, compositions, complex architectures, and surface chemistry templated by rationally designed nonlinear block copolymers. To achieve this goal, three research objectives will be pursued. (1) Synthesize a series of amphiphilic nonlinear block copolymers with well defined molecular weight of each block by living polymerization techniques using cyclodextrin based and cellulose based macroinitiators. (2). Craft a large variety of monodisperse plain nanoparticles (NPs) and nanorods (NRs), core-shell NPs and NRs, core-shell 1-shell 2 NPs and NRs, and Janus NPs with precisely controlled dimensions, tunable compositions, complex architectures, and tailorable surface chemistry by capitalizing on synthesized amphiphilic star like, bottlebrush like, and Janus star like block copolymers as nanoreactors. Several fundamental studies will be performed to provide insights into the formation of monodisperse NPs and NRs enabled by nonlinear block copolymer nanoreactor strategies, including the effect of molecular weight (i.e., chain length) of the outer blocks of nonlinear block copolymers, and the effect of grafting density of polymer chains on the nanocrystal surface. (3) Characterize and unravel physical properties of crafted polymer ligated NPs, NRs and Janus NPs. Fundamental studies on the size and shape dependent optical, optoelectronic, plasmon-fluorescence coupling, magnetoelectric, magnetic exchange coupling, and photocatalytic properties of crafted nanocrystals will be explored.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 14, 2022
- Source ID
- FA95501910317
Entities
People
- Zhiqun Lin
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Georgia Tech Research Corporation
- United States Air Force