S10MM Evaporative Self-Assembly of Polymers, Nanoparticles, and DNA

Materials Research Society, Warrendale PA

Investigators

Abstract

0966408 DeVincent This proposal requests funding to support the Symposium MM on Evaporative Self Assembly of Polymers, Nanoparticles, and DNA to be held at the Materials Research Society meeting April 5-9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA. The symposium will focus on: (a) strategies of using controlled evaporative self-assembly to direct the alignment, size, shape, and periodicity of self-organized assemblies of polymers, microparticles, nanoparticles, and DNA over a large area, (b) technological applications of the resulting assemblies, and (c) modeling of the related mass and heat transport, and fluid flow during the evaporation process. The symposium is the premier fundamental and applied multidisciplinary research forum for this field and supporting scientists. Attending from all over of the world, leading scientists from academics and industries gather with young faculty, postdocs, and students for three days of oral presentations and posters on state of the art strategies and modeling of evaporative self assembly. Intellectual Merit: The Symposium will serve as a forum for presentations and exchange of cutting edge ideas in a rapidly growing area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The sixteen invited speakers chosen for the Symposium MM at the MRS meeting are amongst the most eminent scholars and researchers in the world. Besides bringing many of the established intellectual leaders of the subject together to brainstorm the future, there is also a very strong involvement of practicing engineers and young faculty, postdocs, and students from multiple related disciplines. They will not only learn of the latest research advances but will also contribute to the paradigm changes in the approaches, which are necessary for underpinning and enabling the future. The symposium will emphasize the mechanisms and phenomena governing particulate and multiphase processes, including micro- and nano-structured fluids, self and directed assembly of nanostructures involving particulates from the viewpoints of experiment, theory, and computer simulation. An important aspect of the symposium is the heavy representation by speakers and poster presenters in the field of multiphase flow phenomena (particle/droplet dynamics), and self and directed assembly of particles into functional materials and devices, which are the current research focus areas of NSF Particulate and Multiphase Processes program. The symposium will contribute to improving the basic understanding, predictability, and control of particulate and multiphase processes with particular emphasis on new frontiers in nanotechnology, complex engineering systems, and novel manufacturing techniques. Broader Impact: The grant will provide travel and registration support for invited speakers, as well as young faculty, postdocs and graduate students who will markedly benefit from the networking experience which the symposium provides. Significant efforts have been made and will continue be made to enhance the involvement of women and minorities in this symposium. 25 percent of the invited speakers are women and we will seek to increase the percentage of female new faculty and graduate student presenters. We aim to identify women and minority research laboratories in this research field and will actively solicit their involvement through contributed talks by emails and phone calls. Funds requested from NSF will partially be used to provide 5 travel awards with $500 each to support graduate students, postdocs or young faculty to attend the symposium. Priority will be given to graduate students and postdocs who are female and attend their first national meeting, young faculty who will give oral presentations, and those from underrepresented ethnic minorities.