Spatio-temporal Analysis of Physical Properties in a Polymerization System by Optical Tweezers

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25620176
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Polymer/Textile materials
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: SHUNDO Atsuomi 九州大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (40585915)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TANAKA Keiji 九州大学, 大学院工学研究院, 教授 (20325509)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ソフトマテリアル / 不均一性 / レオロジー / 粒子追跡法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Optical tweezers, capable of detecting a probe particle with small size for rheological measurements has been developed. The thermal motion of the probe particles dispersed in a supramolecular polymer solution and a polymer physical gel. As a result, we have found that there exist a spatial heterogeneity in their physical properties at the mesoscopic scale. Also, the gelation process of these system was accompanied by the changes in the extent of the heterogeneity and the size scale.

Free Research Field

高分子化学、超分子化学