Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measures heat flow as a function of temperature and is a standard method to detect and characterize phase transitions in a variety of materials, including liquid crystals and polymers. The characterization of polymeric materials also includes the determination of glass transition temperatures, which normally requires a high-sensitivity DSC with excellent baseline stability. The research proposed herein includes (i) the design of new liquid crystalline materials for ferroelectric liquid crystal display applications that do not produce optical defects upon cooling from the liquid phase, (ii) the development of new commodity copolymers with improved adhesion, paintability and miscibility properties, and (iii) the design of tri- and tetrablock copolymers with micro- and nanostructures arising from block segregation and self-assembly. Potential applications of the research supported by a high-sensitivity DSC include high-resolution liquid crystal displays for color viewfinders and high-definition TV, polymers for drug delivery, and additives for high-performance lubricants. In all cases, routine access to a high-sensitivity DSC instrument is essential. The new instrument will be part of a suite of instrumentation for the characterization of materials that contribute to a multidisciplinary training of HQP that is highly valued by employers in the Canadian high-tech, polymers and specialty chemicals industries.