Title:
Synthesis and Characterization of Core/Shell Hydrogel Nanoparticles and Their Application to Colloidal Crystal Optical Materials

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dc.contributor.advisor Lyon, L. Andrew
dc.contributor.author McGrath, Jonathan G. en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMember Mizaikoff, Boris
dc.contributor.committeeMember Facundo Fernandez
dc.contributor.committeeMember Janata, Jiri
dc.contributor.committeeMember Victor Breedveld
dc.contributor.department Chemistry and Biochemistry en_US
dc.date.accessioned 2007-05-25T17:29:02Z
dc.date.available 2007-05-25T17:29:02Z
dc.date.issued 2007-01-16 en_US
dc.description.abstract This dissertation describes the use of spherical micro- and nanoparticles as building blocks for the fabrication of colloidal crystals. The polymer component used in all of the projects that are described herein is poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAm). The polymeric identity of particles composed of this soft, hydrogel material, which is also thermoresponsive, contributes to particle self-assembly to form ordered structures. Specifically, particles that possess a core/shell topology were investigated to allow for the localization of distinct polymeric properties. Chapter 2 examines a characterization technique using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) that was explored to investigate the structure of pNIPAm particles that possess this core/shell topology. Chapters 4-6 investigate strategies to impart both stability and flexibility to the particles so that these properties could assist in particle self-assembly as well as provide a stable construct for the production of robust crystalline materials. Styrene was used as the main monomer component in a copolymer synthesis with NIPAm to achieve poly(styrene-co-N-isopropylacrylamide particles (pS-co-NIPAm) that exhibited both hard and soft properties. Simple drying procedures were used to form crystal assemblies with these particles and the application of these pS-co-NIPAm particle suspensions as processable, photonic inks is also investigated. Chapter 7 examines the ability to physically cross-link colloidal crystals composed of pS-co-NIPAm particles by simple heating methods to produce robust films. The optical properties of these crystal films could be tuned by simple rehydration of the film due to the hydrogel character of the crystal building blocks. Chapters 3 and 5 examine the synthesis and self-assembly strategies of core/shell particles using the properties of pNIPAm shell layers that have been added to different types of core particles (silver or pS-co-NIPAm) for the purposes of fabricating colloidal crystals with enhanced properties using thermal annealing procedures. Chapter 8 explores the use of silver particles as tracers for the characterization of colloidal crystals composed of thermally annealed colloidal crystals composed of pNIPAm hydrogel particles. en_US
dc.description.degree Ph.D. en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/1853/14537
dc.publisher Georgia Institute of Technology en_US
dc.subject Colloidal crystal en_US
dc.subject Core/Shell en_US
dc.subject Nanoparticles en_US
dc.subject Microparticles en_US
dc.subject Ink en_US
dc.subject N-isopropylacrylamide en_US
dc.subject.lcsh Nanoparticles en_US
dc.subject.lcsh Colloidal crystals Synthesis en_US
dc.subject.lcsh Colloidal crystals Structure en_US
dc.title Synthesis and Characterization of Core/Shell Hydrogel Nanoparticles and Their Application to Colloidal Crystal Optical Materials en_US
dc.type Text
dc.type.genre Dissertation
dspace.entity.type Publication
local.contributor.advisor Lyon, L. Andrew
local.contributor.corporatename School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
local.contributor.corporatename College of Sciences
relation.isAdvisorOfPublication 6a99c0e3-9c1a-4564-ad17-9be174626f75
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication f1725b93-3ab8-4c47-a4c3-3596c03d6f1e
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication 85042be6-2d68-4e07-b384-e1f908fae48a
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