Model Studies of Reversibly Interacting Surfaces

1
Model Studies of Reversibly Interacting Surfaces
Kenneth R. Shull Northwestern University DMR-02141
46
Transferred oil layer
Polymer Gel
Our NSF-supported research has led to the
development of a variety of methods for
characterizing the contact of soft materials. In
this example we bring a polymer gel, consisting
of a triblock copolymer in mineral oil, in
contact with the polymer-coated surface of a
vibrating quartz crystal. The electrical response
of the crystal provides a measure of the
thickness of the thin film (typical thickness of
several nanometers) that is transferred to the
polystyrene surface. Submitted to Langmuir
Contact of a polymer gel with a polymer surface,
illustrating the thin layer of oil that that
remains in the region defined by the contact of
the two materials.
Thickness of the transferred oil layer as a
function of polymer concentration in the gel.
2
Model Studies of Reversibly Interacting Surfaces
Kenneth R. Shull Northwestern University DMR-02141
46
Education and Outreach Our NSF grant is the core
research grant supporting our work on polymer
surfaces and interfaces, and polymer adhesion.
The broader impacts of this work have recently
been extended by a new collaboration with Prof.
Diethelm Johannsmanns group at Clausthal
University of Technology in Germany. We are
working jointly on improved methods for the use
of quartz crystal resonators in adhesion
problems. A Diploma Thesis student from the
Johannsmann group (Miriam Kunze) recently spent 3
months in our group, and her work resulted in a
joint paper that has been submitted for
publication.
Half the students in this photograph of our
research group are involved in research that is
supported by this grant.