Multifunctional 2D Polymers and Hybrids via Crystal Engineering

Drexel University, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

This project advances the manufacture of crystalline polymer materials, promoting both the progress of science and advancing national prosperity. Crystallization as a materials processing technique is widely used in today's industry to manufacture fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. However, in polymer engineering, the utilization of crystallization for processing purposes is limited because it is challenging to control polymer crystallization and even more difficult to grow polymer single crystals. Recent work demonstrated that polymer single crystals-based two dimensional polymers and hybrids have great potential in applications such as nanoparticle synthesis and patterning, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, artificial nanomotors and catalyst support. Uniform, functional, and controllable two-dimensional polymer single crystals must be produced at large scale for principal commercial applications, which is a major challenge to the community. This project develops two processing platforms called continuous evaporative solution crystallization and evaporative interface crystallization to produce these polymer crystals meet this challenge. The educational component of the project includes developing class modules, mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, and involving high school students in the research activities. The overarching goal of this research is developing a versatile processing approach to synthesize polymer single crystal-based, two dimensional polymers and hybrids. The major research activities of the work include: 1) Developing a library of homo-crystal and hetero-crystal seeds to control the polymer single crystal size and size distribution; 2) Improving the yield of polymer single crystal growth using a continuous evaporative solution crystallization method; 3) Developing an evaporative interface crystallization method to grow wafer-size two dimensional polymer single crystals; 4) Better understanding the growth control of multi-component, end-dissimilar polymers in order to achieve two dimensional polymer single crystals with nanoscale chemical heterogeneity. It is anticipated that such an exquisite morphological control directly leads to two dimensional hybrids with controlled nanoparticle type, loading, and spatial distribution, which are critical for their intended applications in catalysis, nanomotors and nanoparticle patterning. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.