University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2017 Nanoparticle Diffusion In Polymer Networks Emmabeth Parrish Vaughn University of Pennsylvania,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Mechanics of Materials Commons, and the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons Recommended Citation Vaughn, Emmabeth Parrish, "Nanoparticle Diffusion In Polymer Networks" (2017). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 3073. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/3073 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/3073 For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Nanoparticle Diffusion In Polymer Networks Abstract The incorporation of nanoparticles into polymer networks can lead to improvements in current technologies and solutions for global challenges. For example, mechanical properties can be enhanced while maintaining processability, controlled release of drugs can be enabled, and desalinization membrane capabilities can be improved. Inherent to these applications is controlling the localization and mobility of nano-scale diffusants. To improve the functionality of polymer nanocomposite materials, a fundamental understanding of how polymer parameters affect nanoparticle diffusion is required. For this dissertation, I studied nanoparticle diffusion within heterogeneous, homogenous, and biological polymer networks. Using single particle tracking, I investigated the role of confinement, heterogeneity, extent of gelation, and swelling on nanoparticle mobility. For each study, nanoparticles were integrated into the polymer network, hundreds of trajectories were followed in fast frame rate videos, and then these trajectories were analyzed to yield quantitative information such as mean-squared displacement, displacement distributions, and diffusion coefficients.r F om quantitative analysis of nanoparticle dynamics, insight into the impact of various polymer properties on mobility were obtained.