SCIENCE AT THE EGDE SEMINAR
 
Friday, February 7, 2003
11:30 a.m., Room 1400 Biomedical and Physical Sciences Bldg.
 
Refreshments served at 11:15 a.m.
 
Speaker:
         Richard J. Spontak

         Departments of Chemical Engineering
         and Materials Science & Engineering
         North Carolina State University
         Raleigh, NC 27695
 
 
Title: 
         An Emerging Role for Nanocomposites: Novel Reaction  
         Media & Separation Membranes



Abstract: 

Hybrid organic-inorganic polymer nanocomposites have received tremendous
attention over the last 10 years due to the unique and highly desirable
properties that can be realized with such materials. Use of nanocomposites,
wherein an inorganic nanoscale object is added to a polymer matrix, to
improve the mechanical properties of polymers for use in electrical, coating
and separations applications will be briefly reviewed to illustrate the
traditional role of these materials. The importance of size, shape and
surface chemistry will be discussed in the context of network formation.

Physical incorporation of siliceous and other inorganic nanoparticles into
nanostructured polymer matrices (e.g., block copolymers and substituted
polyanilines) will be shown to promote substantial changes in the polymer
nanostructure and the accompanying transport properties, which can be
exploited to develop exciting new selective membranes and nanocellular
materials. A method to promote nanoparticle stabilization in such
nanocomposites will be introduced. Chemical incorporation of metal
nanoparticles into the nanostructure of hypercrosslinked polystyrene and
various polyamphiphiles, including poly(octadecylsiloxane) and
poly(amino/siloxysilsesquioxane)s, will next be described as an efficient
route in the design of multifunctional nanocomposites. These materials are
ideally suited as robust nanoscale reaction environments, as evidenced by
the Pt-catalyzed oxidation of L-sorbose, and can likewise be used for
macroscale templating purposes.