Confinement Effects on Polymer Dynamics in Nanocomposites

ORAL

Abstract

The dynamics of polymers in systems with dispersed nanoparticles is studied using inelastic and quasi-elastic neutron scattering. In this study, the role of confinement between nanoparticles and the role of nanoparticle topology are examined by considering dispersions with spherical C60 buckeyballs, rod-like single walled carbon nanotubes and plate-like graphene. The polymers examined here include bisphenol A epicholorohydrin and bisphenol F epicholorohydrin. Significant changes in the dynamics of the polymer are observed and these will be examined in the context of mode coupling theories.

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Authors

  • Ramanan Krishnamoorti

    University of Houston

  • Tirtha Chatterjee

    Mitsubishi Chemicals-Center for Advanced Materials, Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, UC Santa Barbara

  • Mansour Abdulbaki

    University of Houston

  • Madhusudan Tyagi

    NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, NIST