CAREER: Development of Novel Electroactive Polymer Assemblies

Electroactive polymers that change shape in response to an electric field are becoming crucial components in advanced electronic devices such as sensors, actuators, artificial muscles, and microelectromechanical systems. This CRAEER project seeks (1) to develop a new generation of electromechanical materials based on rational design, molecular engineering and hierarchical assembly of multiple electroactive polymers, and (2) to achieve fundamental understanding of the correlations between novel nanostructure, supramolecular morphology and physical properties in ferroelectric polymers. A key aspect of the proposed research program is to utilize nanoscale delocalized p-electrons in semiconducting organic materials to substantially raise the dielectric constant and electromechanical responses of the ferroelectric polymers. Specifically, p-Conjugated oligomers will be covalently incorporated into the ferroelectric fluoropolymers with a controlled density, and the correlations of electromechanical responses and dielectric properties with conjugation length and conductivity will be investigated. New controlled polymerization methods for telechelic fluoroalkenes will be developed and utilized for the synthesis of block architectures of the electromechanical polymers. The proposed research approaches offer unique opportunities to tune the solid-state physical properties, such as dielectric and electromechanical responses, via the control of nanoscopic organization of conjugated oligomers in ferroelectric fluoropolymers.

The proposed interdisciplinary research will form the ground work for a truly new class of high-performance materials for applications in energy storage, energy harvesting, and advanced microelectronics. Future scientists capable of working at the interface between traditional disciplines will be trained and educated within this program. In addition to graduate research assistants, undergraduates and minorities will be integrally involved in the proposed research program. A series of educational videos with supporting classroom materials will be produced for secondary schools, targeting the 7th through 12th grades. This multimedia package will be created at the Penn State Public Broadcasting System station for distribution through their video streaming website and national educational video internet sites.