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BIONIC » Adaptive Nanocomposites

Adaptive Nanocomposites

Overview of Interdisciplinary Research Group #2 (Adaptive Nanocomposites)

The aim of this research group is to understand, fabricate, test, and model the performance of bioinspired adaptive nanocomposites that utilize asymmetric inorganic nanoparticles for light-to-heat conversion and thermally-responsive polymers for reversible compliant matrix conversion for reversibly tunable nanomaterials and coatings. Prospective applications targeted  are sensing, responsive, and adaptive properties which can be exploited for IR detection, morphing, microactuators, camouflaging, thermal management, optical microactuators, tunable optical metamaterials, flexible shielding, self-cleaning surfaces, adaptive visibility, surrounding monitoring, and de-fogging. The proposed integrated team of Georgia Tech researchers includes: the El-Sayed, Tsukruk, and Fedorov groups with focus on different aspects of the modeling and characterization of morphological and optical properties, stimuli-responsive mechanisms, and multistimuli approaches for responsive nanocomposites.

Interdisciplinary Research Group #2:

Project #2-1:   Responsive One- and Three-Dimensional Nanostructures

Research Focus: The focus is on fabrication of monodisperse and controlled segmented nanorods with Au, Ag, and Ni segments using anodic alumina templates and variable coupling phenomena to assure tunable plasmonic and magnetic properties of the segmented nanorods, their assemblies, and corresponding forests.  Diameters of nanorods can be varied from 50 to 300 nm, and segment lengths can be made from 20 nm to > 1 mm.  The responsive behavior of the classic pH responsive polymer system such (poly 2-vinylpyridine) acting as shells or as internal segmen is exploited to modulate enhanced coupling as triggered by the collapse of a pH responsive polymer layer.

Publications:

  • M. K. Gupta, S. Chang, S. Singamaneni, L. F. Drummy, R. Gunawidjaja, R. R. Naik, V. V. Tsukruk, “pH Triggered SERS via Modulated Plasmonic Coupling in Individual Bimetallic Nanocobs” Small, in press.
  • S. Singamaneni, M. E. McConney, V. V. Tsukruk, “Spontaneous Self-Folding in Confined Ultrathin Polymer Gels” Advanced Materials, 22, 1263-1268 (2010).
  • S. Singamaneni, M. E. McConney, V. V. Tsukruk, “Swelling -Induced Folding in Confined Nanoscale Responsive Polymer Gels” ACS Nano, 4, 2327-2337 (2010).

Fully- or Partially-Supported Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows:

  • Maneesh Gupta (Ph.D. student, School of Materials Science and Engineering)

 

Project #2-2:  Encapsulated Responsive Cell Assemblies

Research Focus: The focus is on designing cell-friendly shells with increased viability in hostile environment for biosensing elements.  The encapsulated cell viability can be dramatically improved due to high permeability and higher diffusion coefficient of low molecular weight molecules through highly porous hydrogen-bonded shells, and due to eliminating cationic polyelectrolyte components without unaltereding metabolic activity and growth kinetics of encapsulated cells.

Publications:

  • V. Kozlovskaya, S. Harbaugh, I. Drachuk, O. Shchepelina, N. Kelley-Loughnane, M. Stone, V. Tsukruk, “Hydrogen-bonded LbL Shells For Living Cell Surface Engineering”, Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 2364-2372.
  • V. Kozlovskaya, E. Kharlampieva, I. Drachuk, D. Cheng, V. V. Tsukruk, “Responsive Microcapsule Reactors Based on Hydrogen-bonded Tannic Acid Layer-by-Layer Assemblies,” Soft Matter, 2010, 6, 3596–3608.
  • O. Shchepelina, V. Kozlovskaya, E. Kharlampieva, S, Singamaneni, V. V. Tsukruk, “Anisotropic Mesoscale Replicas from Organic, Inorganic, and Biological Templates”, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 6587–6603 (invited feature article)

Fully- or Partially-Supported Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows:

  • Irina Drachuk (Ph.D. student, School of Materials Science and Engineering).
  • Dr. Olga Shchepelina (School of Materials Science and Engineering)

Project #2-3:  Modeling and Study of Coupling Phenomena and Transient Optical properties of Organic-Inorganic Adaptive Nanocomposites

Research Focus: The focus is on designing and fabrication of model paired arrays of metal nanostructures with e-beam lithography with precisely controlled shape, spacing, and orientation for testing plasmonic coupling phenomena in nanostructured arrays.  A mathematical relationship will be developed, based on simulations and experimental data, which quantitatively describes plasmonic coupling between nanorods as a function of orientation, separation, induced dipole strength, and the dielectric constant of the medium and for such complex nanostructures as nanoprisms and nanorods.

Fully- or Partially-Supported Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows:

  • Rachel Near (Ph.D. student, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry)

Project #2-4:   Laminated and Shaped Hybrid Nanostructures

Research Focus:

  • The focus is on fabrication of Janus-like and free standing half sphere structures from silica and titania microparticles and plasma polymerized responsive polymers and aminoacids in order to develop potential stimuli response complex Microsystems with tunable mechanical, optical, and morphological properties.

Publications:

  • K. D. Anderson, M. Luo, R. Jakubiak, R. R. Naik, T. J. Bunning, V. V. Tsukruk, “Robust Plasma Polymerized-Titania/Silica Janus Microparticles,” Chem Mater, 2010, 22, 3259-3264.
  • K. D. Anderson, K. Marczewski, S. Singamaneni, J. M. Slocik, R. R. Naik, T. J. Bunning, V. V. Tsukruk, “Plasma Amino Acid Coatings for a Conformal Growth of Titania Nanoparticles” Applied Materials and Interfaces 2010, 2, 2269-2281.

Fully- or Partially-Supported Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows:

  • Kyle Anderson (Ph.D. student, School of Materials Science and Engineering, NDSEG Fellow)

Project #2-5:   Dynamically Adaptive Hybrid Micro/Nanostructured Surfaces for Critical Thermal and Moisture Management Applications

Research Focus: The focus is on scaling analysis to determine nanowire array properties that will match timescale for liquid droplet dynamics and promote heat/mass transfer across various interfaces. In-situ ESEM condensation experiments are combined with simulations to guide future research.

Fully- or Partially-Supported Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows:

  • David Anderson (Ph.D. student, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering)

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