Our overarching goal is to guide the organization of synthetic nanoscale building blocks to create 3-D hierarchical materials with novel properties. Specifically, Thrust 1 focuses on two core research areas: (1) Nanoparticle Gels and (2) Polymer Nanocomposites, which are closely integrated through shared intellectual threads and the highly collaborative nature of our interdisciplinary research team. These core activities share the common goal of controlling via self- or directed assembly the organization of nanoscale building blocks in the solution, melt, gel, rubbery or glassy state.

During the last four years, we have synthesized organic and inorganic nanoscale building blocks with controlled size, composition, and surface functionality, studied the viscoelasticity, phase behavior, and structure of model nanoparticle-polymer mixtures, created 3-D hierarchical structures via direct-write assembly of nanoparticle inks, and synthesized, assembled, characterized, and modeled the behavior of polymer nanocomposites. Some of our results are already being transferred to industry for pre-commercial trials (Thrust 3).