News Highlights!!
New Grant to Study Diffusion in Polymer Nanocomposites!
Prof. Winey Chairs Polymer Physics Gordon Research Conference
Trustees' Council of Penn Women
National Science Foundation Creativity Award
Recent Publications
- M. Mu, N. Clarke, R. J. Composto, K. I. Winey*, Macromolecules, 42, 7091-7097, 2009.
“Polymer diffusion exhibits a minimum with increasing single-walled carbon nanotube concentration.”
- M. Mu, S. Osswald, Y. Gogotsi, K. I. Winey*, Nanotechnology, 20, 335703, 2009.
“An in situ Raman spectroscopy study of stress transfer between carbon nanotubes and polymer.”
- H. Chen, J.-H. Choi, D. Salas-de la Cruz, K. I. Winey, Y. A. Elabd*, Macromolecules, , 42, 4809-4816, 2009.
“Polymerized ionic liquids: The effect of random copolymer composition on ion conduction.”
- W. Wang, T.-T. Chan, A. J. Perkowski, S. Schlick, K. I. Winey*, Polymer, 50, 1281-1287, 2009.
“Local structure and composition of the ionic aggregates in Cu(II)-neutralized poly(styrene-co-methacrylic acid) ionomers depend on acid content and neutralization level.”
- S. I. White, B. A. DiDonna, M. Mu, T. C. Lubensky, K. I. Winey*, Physical Review B, 79, 024301, 2009.
“Simulations and electrical conductivity of percolated networks of finite rods with various degrees of axial alignment.”
- S. R. Williams, W. Wang, K. I. Winey, T. E. Long*, Macromolecules, 41, 9072-9079, 2008.
“Synthesis and morphology of segmented poly(tetramethylene oxide)-based polyurethanes containing phosphonium salts.”
- N. C. Zhou, C. D. Chan, K. I. Winey*, Macromolecules, 41, 6134-6140, 2008.
"Reconciling STEM and X-ray scattering data to determine the nanoscale ionic aggregate morphology in sulfonated polystyrene ionomers."
New Grant to Study Diffusion in Polymer Nanocomposites!
The National Science Foundation has recently awarded Karen Winey (PI) and several collaborators (Russ Composto, Nigel Clarke and Tom McLeish) a Materials World Network grant to study polymer dynamics in the presence of nanoparticles. We recently found that polymers behave difference in the presence of nanoparticles, where the polymer diffusion first slowed and then recovered with the addition of cylindrical nanoparticles, namely carbon nanotubes. This research will allow for the fundamental understanding of this observed behavior by further studying the polymer dynamics in these nanocomposite systems using a coordinated experimental and theoretical approach.
Prof. Winey Chairs Polymer Physics Gordon Research Conference
Karen Winey will chair the Polymer Physics Gordon Research Conference to be held in July of 2010 at Mount Holyoke College.
Trustees' Council of Penn Women
Karen Winey spoke to the Trustees' Council of Penn Women on "Nanotechnology - The Cutting Edge of the Very Small." Few in the audience have science or engineering backgrounds, so they particularly appreciated Karen's ability to start from the familiar and lead them through the nanoscale world of integrated circuits, carbon nanotubes, and nanoparticles. Video can be found here.
National Science Foundation Creativity Award
Karen Winey’s pioneering work in ion-containing polymers has been recognized through her receipt of the National Science Foundation Creativity Award. The award is aimed toward offering “the most creative investigators an extended opportunity to attack adventurous, 'high-risk' opportunities." Dr. Winey will use the funds to investigate the behavior of ion-containing polymers at elevated temperatures, in high humidity environments and under applied electric fields using newly designed in situ experiments. These systems have potential applications in low-temperature fuel cells and actuators.
We received a grant from the Army Research Office through the DURIP program to purchase accessories for the SEM, TEM, and STEM to study polymer suspensions, swollen polymers, and soft polymers at cryo temperatures.