Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will utilize the nanoprobe instrumentation cluster, comprised of upgrades and modular additions to an atomic force microscope (AFM) and tribodindenter nanomechanical testing system, to support integrated research in nano- and meso-structured materials, including linear/star block copolymers, ionomers, nanophase-separated blends, polymer liquid crystal patterned materials, polymer/clay nanocomposites, nanostructured films from aqueous polymer dispersion blends, nanostructured coatings, self-assembled organic/inorganic hybrids, conductive polymer blends employing carbon nanotubes, self-assembled biopolymer synthetic analogues, smart surface-attached polymers, patterned polymeric molecular sieves, barrier coatings and separation membranes based on dendrimers. AFM will interrogate surfaces on the scale of a few nanometers while the triboindenter will probe mechanical properties on the next higher order of scale. Combined with other methods, structure-properties will be correlated across morphological hierarchies that span the nanoscopic-to-microscopic-to-macroscopic spectrum. The instruments will play critical roles in programs funded by NSF MRSEC, NSF-IGERT, NSF-REU, and other-funded research at USM. Partnership between the academic researchers and instrument developers has been established. The principal investigators have a project and management plan that includes advanced training, scheduling, future direction and facility maintenance.
Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will utilize a nanoprobe instrumentation cluster to support integrated, multidisciplinary research in finely-structured heterogeneous materials that include block copolymers, ion-containing polymers, blends, liquid crystals, nanocomposites, organic/inorganic hybrid materials, coatings and membranes. Combined with other characterization methods, the structure and properties of these materials will be interrogated and correlated across scales that range from molecular sizes to the macroscopic realm. The instruments will play critical roles in programs funded by NSF MRSEC, NSF-IGERT, NSF-REU, and other-funded research at USM in the pursuit of sophisticated, multifunctional materials. Partnership between academic researchers and instrument developers has been established. The principal investigator Mauritz, Morgan and Nazarenko have a project and management plan that includes advanced training, efficient scheduling, future direction and facility maintenance.
