Functional Macromolecular Materials

Research

Block copolymers provide an ideal platform to control and modulate the interaction of visible light with matter on the nanoscale. Compared with other materials used in bottom-up self-assembly, such as colloids, BCPs offer several advantages, including rapid kinetics, macroscopic ordering of self-assembled structures, and high tolerance for functional additives. By tuning the molecular structure of the underlying BCPs, they can be directed to form more complex microstructures. A wide variety of photonic architectures, ranging from long-range ordered structures (e.g., closely-packed micelles, hexagonally-packed cylinders, double diamond, gyroids, cubic, and correlated networks) to systems with short-range order like photonic glasses, have been successfully self-assembled from BCPs.

We are particularly interested in

1. the synthesis of biocompatible and biodegradable BCPs systems;
2. the kinetics of the BCPs self-assembly process, how the confined self-assembly of BCPs within a droplet can be used to produce photonic structure;
3. methods to enhance the self-assembly or to add functionality;
4. manufacturing functional materials based on macromolecular systems.

Related Publications