9628224 Frisch This grant aims at the preparation of novel interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN's) including hybrid porous inorganic material containing ones (whose pores contain polymer chains of unusual properties) as well as full and pseudo (or semi) IPN's functionalized with non-linear optical (NLO) chromophores. The latter IPN materials offer great promise for long lived second harmonic generating films. Other K3C60 containing blends of linear polymers are superconducting and will be further investigated. In collaboration with a number of other investigator groups, these new materials will be studied using SAXS with synchrotron radiation, dielectric and ultrasonic measurements as well as the more usual electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and mechanical property measurements. The ultimate use of these materials depends on whether they have undergone a phase transition, e.g. IPN's are often microphase separated (particularly if mechanically stressed), or whether they exhibit a triphasic collapse in the ease of IPN gels. Further polymer ordering transitions such as the microphase separation transition in diblock copolymers confined between walls and the nematic and discoidal ordering with hard disc molecules will be studied using exact models. %%% This project falls into the general area of synthesis, and properties of polymer blends and networks. Besides contributing to the preparation of novel materials with special uses such as toughened membranes, NLO devices, separation membranes, and new catalyst supports, the proposed work should help elucidate some interesting features of polymer phase transitions. ***
