| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/N00968/01 |
| Title: |
VISCOELASTIC PHENOMENA IN ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER FILMS |
| Principal Investigator: |
Hillman, Professor AR |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Department: |
Chemistry |
| Organisation: |
University of Leicester |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
15 January 2001 |
Ends: |
14 October 2004 |
Value (£): |
171,949
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Manufacturing |
Chemicals |
| Electronics |
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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We propose to observe, characterise and model viscoelastic phenomena in electroactive polymer films maintained under potential control on electrode surfaces. The experimental program comprises high frequency (1-150 MHz) crystal impedence and related measurements on polymer-loaded thickness shear mode resonators. Frequency and temperature variables will be used to obtain stress master relaxation curves as a function of electrochemically-controlled redox state. Dundamental questions include electrostatically-induced stiffening vs solvation-induced plasticisation, permselectivity failure and free volume effects, the origins of film resonance, and the effect of regioregularity. With a view to interfacial design, we will study manipulation of film shear modulus via imposition of constraints at the electrode/polymer and polymer/solution interfaces. An important practical issue is the modelling (and thence diagnosis) of viscoelectric phenomena for films whose composition is spatially variant perpendicular to the interface; neutron reflectivity has identified this as a likely case for real interfacial architectures involving thick films. We will explore temporal separation of film and mobile species (ion and solvent) transfer dymanics, to yield novel kinetic data on viscoelastic (cf. Gravimetric) effects.
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Key Findings |
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.le.ac.uk |