Assembly and Dynamics of Soft Matter Observed by Liquid Cell TEM
Abstract
Our knowledge of precisely how surfactant, or amphiphilic based materials form in solution, or undergo even the most basic changes in morphology, size and structure is extremely lacking. This is despite their ubiquitous nature, and their fundamental importance in biology and in myriad technological applications. Until recently, no viable characterization techniques have been available for directly observing soft-matter, macromolecular nano-assemblies in solution. Moreover, of particular interest, is the ability to directly visualize soft matter of this kind as it is triggered by stimuli to undergo morphological transformations. In the proposed work, we aim to directly capture and observe transformations as they occur for organic nanomaterials using liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LCTEM). The Objectives of the proposed work are: 1. To observe and study the assembly and morphology transitions of soft matter triggered by physical stimuli. A particular focus of this work will be to apply in situ Variable Temperature-LCTEM (VT-LCTEM) to study dynamic nanoscale processes of soft matter in response to changes in temperature and perturbations in solvent polarity. 2. To capture the dynamics of multi-component chemical reactions and stimuli-responsive processes. A key expected outcome is to directly observe and develop an understanding of the morphological transitions of soft matter in response to chemical or biological triggers. 3. To observe direct one-pot syntheses of soft nanomaterials. A particular focus of this work will be to utilize Liquid Cell TEM to study the bottom-up synthesis of soft materials to form specifically targeted nanostructures in situ. These objectives have been designed to provide unprecedented direct, visual, and real-time insight into the genesis and evolution of soft-matter nanoparticles during synthesis, as well as to elucidate the eventual dynamic behavior that occurs at the nanoscale in response to stimuli.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 11, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1710326
Entities
People
- Nathan C. Gianneschi
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Northwestern University
- United States Army