The National Science Foundation funds this work. Charles Harrington, University Photography Gruner s laboratory focuses on understanding the formation and physical properties of matter that is organized on mesoscopic length scales, that is, length scales in the range of 1 to 100 nanometers. Mesoscopic materials are organized into structures larger than single molecules yet smaller than structures that can be fabricated by macroscopic methods. Examples include self-assembling copolymer aggregates, liquid crystals, and certain biomaterials. The properties of materials in the mesoscopic size range are frequently different than the bulk properties of the constituents.
Teeth are an example of a mesoscopically organized material.
They are composed primarily of a brittle mineral and collagen, the protein that makes up tendons. The resultant material is much harder than the collagen and much tougher than the mineral. Gruner is examining ways in which liquid crystals, polymers, and metal oxides can be organized into new mesoscopic materials for applications ranging from molecular filtration, to novel optical glasses, to super-tough composites. The U.S. Army, Department of Energy, and National Science Foundation fund this research. Ober has a broad research group that works in the areas of chemical synthesis and fundamental studies on the properties of liquid crystal and polymeric systems.