PROPOSAL NO.: CTS-0404243 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: AMY Q. SHEN INSTITUTION: WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
NER: HIGH THROUGHPUT MANUFACTURING OF NANOPOROUS FILMS VIA FLOW-INDUCED MICELLE ALIGNMENT
This proposal was received in response to Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 03-043, category NER. Recent advances in rheo-optical characterization and theoretical modeling of self-assembled fluids (e.g. wormlike micelles) provide unique opportunities for developing high throughput and well controlled process designs for nanostructured film synthesis. However, the wide variety of rheological behaviors that these systems exhibit poses challenges for process design. For example, wormlike micelles show highly non-Newtonian and/or viscoelastic flow behavior that is sensitive to salt concentration and temperature. The central goal of this project is to explore whether existing knowledge on the rheology of wormlike micellar solutions may be used advantageously to develop efficient coating process for tailor making nanostructured films. Specifically, the proposed research will entail the following collaborative activities: (a) Developing and optimizing a coating apparatus to guide and control the self-assembly and molecular alignment during the film synthesis for high throughput results. (b) Systematic characterization of thin films synthesized under different physiochemical and hydrodynamic conditions using well characterized fluids. (c) Theoretical modeling to understand the influence of viscoelastic and/or non-Newtonian effects on the coating process. It is envisioned that the proposed research will lead to the development of experimentally validated models and numerical simulations that will allow engineers and researchers to synthesize nanoporous films at high production rate. Such user-friendly numerical simulation software will have technological relevance in biosensors, optics, catalysis, quantum electronics, and energetic materials. Broader Impacts include educational objectives as well as the involvement of underrepresented minority groups. The numerical simulation modules will be developed for potential use in core curriculum via courses on fluid mechanics, heat transfer, process design and materials science.
