Novel Polymers Containing Metal Ligands in the Side Chain

Abstract

Abstract : This program aims to develop novel ferromagnetic materials and thin films from the directed self-assembly of novel block copolymers. Here, novel metal-ion containing monomers are polymerized into block copolymer architectures that organize the metal ions into nanostructured domains leading to ferromagnetic materials. In contrast, the unstructured homopolymer yields only small paramagnetic cobalt particles. The major differences between the two materials are highlighted in the figure here which shows the ferromagnetic sample with nanostructured cylinders beside the non-magnetic (paramagnetic) homopolymer with small, unstructured cobalt nanoparticles. Being able to build chemically rich monomers and place them into discrete locations within polymeric architectures will yield novel new materials. Funding this work will allow us to understand the fundamental connections between polymer chemistry, nanostructured self-assembly, and ferromagnetic response. It will lead to a new paradigm in materials synthesis in which the block copolymer is much more than a simple carrier of inorganic ions, which has been commonly exploited. Now the polymer chemistry and nanostructures are directly related to the final properties. More broadly, the opportunity to develop thin magnetic films with ultra-high density is of great promise. In addition, interest in magnetic materials for giant-magnetoresistance devices, magnetic sensors, and more are highly sought after.