Objective
This project aims for the preparation and self-assembly of responsive Janus inorganic/polymer hybrid particles. Such particles will exhibit distinguishing properties and potential applications in various fields, such as materials assembly, catalysis, microelectronics, and bionanotechnology, by the integration of multiple properties, e.g. of the “soft” polymeric component, of the “hard” inorganic component, sensitivity to the environment, and the anistropy originating from two chemically distinct regions.
This research will create a novel one-pot method of producing series of these responsive Janus hybrid particles in large quantities by combining inner phase separation inside droplets with a sol-gel process. Furthermore, other functional moieties (e.g. adamantane(Ad), b-cyclodextrin (CD)) can be integrated into the Janus hybrid particles for improving their function. By controlling their morphology and structure, tuning their response to the environment, the properties of these particles will be investigated in detail, such as stimuli-responsive properties and the hydrophilic-oleophilic transition. In particular, the self-assembly behavior of these particles will be studied to great detail, such as the aggregation/disaggregation behavior, self-assembly induced by the CD/Ad complementary interaction pairs, superparticle structure, and self-assembly at interfaces. Finally, this proposal will explore the application of these Janus hybrid particles in the areas of stabilizing emulsions and on-off catalytic reactions. In the latter case, their switchable catalysis will be investigated.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IIF
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
MC-IIF - International Incoming Fellowships (IIF)Coordinator
7522 NB Enschede
Netherlands