Unusual optical, electrical and magnetic properties are expected in composites with controlled spatial distribution of the embedded nanoparticles. These can be utilized in the fabrication of future generation devices, such as high-density magnetic storage materials, molecular semiconductors, or optical coatings transparent to some wavelengths but opaque to others. The organization and spatial distribution of the nanoparticles is adjusted by tailoring the structural properties of the host polymer material. These matrices are then used as templates to control the organization of embedded nanoparticles. Subsequent work will be devoted to determining the optical, electrical, magnetic, and transport properties of the newly generated structures.
Polyelectrolytes exhibit a very interesting and rich phase behavior.
While their bulk solution properties have been studied for some time and are now relatively well understood, detailed molecular level information about the performance of polyelectrolytes at interfaces is still lacking. Understanding and tailoring the behavior of charged molecules at surfaces and interfaces is necessary in a great number of applications in many areas of technology that rely on the properties of polymer surfaces. Novel techniques of surface analysis having excellent spatial resolution are now available which permit the investigation of the interfacial structure at the molecular level. The use of neutron radiation is particularly promising because standard techniques of isotopic labeling and contrast matching can be exploited to separate and magnify the contributions from the various components of these complex systems. The importance of this research program extends beyond the interfacial structure of polyelectrolyte brushes.