Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB
-
Upload
ucsbira -
Category
Economy & Finance
-
view
3.858 -
download
0
description
Transcript of Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB
![Page 1: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Field-Based Simulations for the Design of Polymer Nanostructures
Glenn H. Fredrickson
Departments of Chemical Engineering & MaterialsMitsubishi Chemical Center for Advanced Materials (MC-CAM)
Complex Fluids Design Consortium (CFDC)University of California, Santa Barbara
The Equilibrium Theory of Inhomogeneous Polymers (Oxford, 2006)
![Page 2: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
The Mitsubishi Chemical Center for Advanced Materials (MC-CAM)
MC-CAM was created in 2001 to enable a research partnership between Mitsubishi Chemical and UCSBFocus is new organic, inorganic, and hybrid materials for applications in
Display technologiesSpecialty polymersSolid state lightingEnergy devices, e.g. photovoltaics
Funding has been ~$2.5M/yr ~50 patent disclosures to date
![Page 3: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Polypropylene Block CopolymersA Mitsubishi Chemical—UCSB—Cornell collaboration
sPP-EPR-sPP
Mn=300K, wPP=.24
iPP-EPR-iPP
Mn=100K, wPP=.24
![Page 4: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Complex Fluids Design Consortium
Academic partners:Fredrickson (Director), Banerjee, Ceniceros, Garcia-Cervera, Gusev (ETH), Cochran (Iowa St.)Industrial partners:Arkema, Mitsubishi Chemicals, Rhodia, General Electric, Dow Chemical, Kraton Polymers, Accelyrs, and NestléNational lab partners:Los Alamos (Lookman, Redondo)Sandia (Curro, Grest, Frischknecht)
The Complex Fluids Design Consortium (CFDC) is an academic-industrial-national lab partnership aimed at developing computational tools for designing soft materials and analyzing multiphase complex fluids
http://www.mrl.ucsb.edu/cfdc/
![Page 5: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
AcknowledgementsPostdocs:
Dr. Venkat Ganesan Dr. Scott SidesDr. Eric CochranDr. Jonghoon LeeDr. Yuri PopovDr. Kirill KatsovDr. Dominik Duechs
Students:A. Alexander-Katz, S. Hur E. Lennon, W. Lee, A. BosseT. Chantawansri, M. Villet
Collaborators:Prof. Edward KramerProf. Craig HawkerProf. Hector CenicerosProf. Carlos Garcia-Cervera
Funding:NSF DMR-CMMTNSF DMR-MRSECACS-PRF
Complex Fluids Design Consortium:
RhodiaMitsubishi ChemicalArkemaDow ChemicalGE CR&D NestléKraton PolymersAccelrys SNL, LANL
www.mrl.ucsb.edu/cfdc
![Page 6: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
The Problem—Design of Polymer FormulationsPolymer formulations are often inhomogeneous and multi-component
Multiphase plasticsSolution formulations
They exhibit complex phase behavior, including
Nanostructured mesophasesCoexistence of meso and macro phases (emulsions)
Relationship between formulation, self-assembled structure, and properties difficult to establish
Trial and error experimentation is norm
Can Theory/Simulation help?
![Page 7: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
• Microphase separation of block copolymers
Nanoscale Morphology Control: Block Copolymers
B
A
AAHolden & Legge(Shell – Kraton Polymers)
ABA Triblock Thermoplastic Elastomer
f
![Page 8: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Enabling Chemistries to Create Nanostructured Polymers
The past decade has seen unprecedented advances in controlled (living or quasi-living) polymerization techniques:
Controlled free radical methodsSingle site metallocene catalystsImproved ring-opening techniques“Change of mechanism” strategiesPost-polymerization chemical modificationsLiving Ziegler-Natta methods
These synthetic techniques enable the creation of block and graft architectures from a broad range of commodity-priced monomers
![Page 9: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Nanostructured Polymers via New Chemistry:sPP-b-EPR Block Copolymers
sPP minority HPL phase
P. Husted, J. Ruokolainen, R. Mezzenga, G. W. Coates, E. J. Kramer, GHF, Macrom. 38, 851 (2005)
![Page 10: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Nanoparticles in Block CopolymersB.J. Kim et. al., Adv. Matl. 17, 2018 (2005)
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.40
50
100
150
200
Normalized Domain Size of PS-b-P2VP
Num
ber o
f Au
Parti
cles
PS PVPPVP
Central Interfacial
100nm 100nm
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.40
50
100
150
Num
ber o
f A
u Pa
rticl
es
Normalized Domain Size of PS-b-P2VP
PSPVP PVP
Au Au
![Page 11: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Scales and Approaches to Fluids Simulation
Sub-atomic< 1Å
Fields(wavefunctions, density functionals)
Ab initio quantum chemistry, electronic structure
Atomic to mesoscopic1Å -- 1µm
Particles(positions, momenta)
Classical MD, MC, BD
Continuum> 1µm
Fields(densities, velocities, stresses)
PDEs of mass, momentum, energy flow, elasticity
Can we compute with fields in the atomic-mesoscopic regime?
Scale MethodDOF
![Page 12: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
From Particles to Fields
Any classical “particle-based” model of an equilibrium fluid can be exactly converted to a statistical field theoryE.g., monatomic fluid with invertable repulsive pair potential v(r) -- Hubbard-Stratonovich transformation
Particles are decoupled and rn coordinates can be traced out of the partition functionField theory is complex when repulsive interactions are present
microscopicdensity
![Page 13: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Why Field-Based Simulations of Polymer Fluids?
Relevant spatial and time scales cannot be accessed by atomistic “particle-based” simulationsUse of fluctuating fields, rather than particle coordinates, has potential computational advantages:
Simulations become easier at high density & high MWMore seamless connection to continuum mechanics Systematic coarse-graining by numerical RG appears feasible
Copolymer nanocomposite BJ Kim `06
Microemulsion, Bates ‘97
![Page 14: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Coarse-Grained “Particle-Based” Model: Polymer SolutionTwo-parameter “Edwards” model of homopolymers in an implicit good solvent (v > 0):
N
0s
R(s)
2
vv
![Page 15: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Edwards Field Theory (~1960)
Energy functional
Single-chain partition function
Fokker-Planck equation for chain propagator
![Page 16: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
GeneralizationsUsing similar methods, one can construct statistical field theories for a broad variety of polymer formulationsModels have been devised for:
Block and graft copolymers of arbitrary architectureMolten polymer alloysPolyelectrolytesLiquid crystalline polymers (worm-like chains)Polymer brushes, thin filmsSupramolecular polymers
Other ensembles, e.g. μVT, are straightforward
![Page 17: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Structure of the Field Theories
The field theories have “saddle point”configurations w*(r) corresponding to stable and metastable phases of the system
Saddle points can be homogeneous (disordered phase) or inhomogeneous (ordered phase)Saddle points lie in the complex plane such that H[w*] is real
![Page 18: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Mean-Field Approximation: SCFT
• SCFT is derived by a saddle point approximation to the field theory:
• The approximation is asymptotic for
• We can simulate a field theory at two levels:
• “Mean-field” approximation (SCFT): F ≈ H[w*]
• Full stochastic sampling of the complex field theory: “Field-theoretic simulations” (FTS)
![Page 19: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
High-Resolution SCFT
By the above methods we can compute saddle points using ~107 or more plane waves
Unit cell calculations for high accuracy with variable cell shape to relax stress
Initial condition has desired symmetry
Large cell calculations for exploring self-assembly in new systems
Initial condition is randomComplex geometries can be addressed with a maskingtechnique
A. Bosse
S. Sides, K. Katsov
T. Chantawansri SPHEREPACK
![Page 20: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Unit Cell Calculation, Ia3dSymmetry specified initial guess
(E. Cochran)
AB diblock melt, f = 0.39, χN = 20
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
0 10 20 30 40Time
Log
Err
or
-0.25
-0.20
-0.15
-0.10
-0.05
0.00
0 10 20 30 40Time
Ene
rgy
9.8 Rg
![Page 21: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Mean-Field A-B Diblock Copolymer Melt Phase Diagram Matsen-Bates (1995), Cochran (2006)
f
χ : strengthof A-B monomerRepulsion
N: degree of polymerization
![Page 22: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
+volume fraction of homopolymer
fraction of A monomers on each triblock fA χNh = 16.0
Nt /Nh = 2
ABA triblock + A homopolymerArkema (S. Sides)
light
dark
![Page 23: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
256 Rg∼2.5 μm
106 plane waves3000 field iterations
SW Sides and GHF,Polymer 44, 5859 (2003)
+ light
![Page 24: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
<φΒ > = 0.35
<φA > ~ 0.65 <φΒ > ~ 0.35
pdi =1.00
pdi=1.225
Polydispersity: Acrylic BCs
200 nm
<φA > ~ 0.65
PDI ~ 2.0-3.0
Simulation results (S. Sides)
Experimental data (Arkema/ESPCI)
PBA
PMMA
12 Rg
(light)
(dark)
<φPMMA > ~ 0.65<φPBA > ~ 0.35
~214 nmTEM data courtesy of A.-V. Ruzette
![Page 25: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Chuanbing TangMaterials Research LaboratoryUniversity of California Santa Barbara
Basic steps
1. Coating polymers
2. Alignment of microdomains
3. Removal of one component
Expensive
Photolithography vs. Block Copolymer Lithography
Features5 -20 nm
LowCost
![Page 26: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Defects in Laterally Confined Block Copolymer Thin Films
Large 2D arrays of spheres or cylinders will exhibit defect populations, even at equilibrium However, lateral confinement can be used to induce order in smaller 2D systems—”graphoepitaxy” (Kramer, Segalman, Stein)
Top-down lithography for creating μm scale “wells”, e.g. stripes, squares, or hexagonsBottom-up self-assembly to achieve perfect long-range registry of nm scale microdomains
Segalman et al. Macromolecules 36, 6831 (2003)
![Page 27: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Here we examine f = 0.7, χ = 17, and χw = 17 (majority A-monomer is attracted to the wall)We have identified “commensurability windows” of side length L, for which various annealing conditions always produced a defect free configuration
L = 14.75 Rg0 L = 16.25 Rg0 L = 18.00 Rg0
SCFT studies of hexagonal confinement: “A wetting”
![Page 28: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Tetragonal Ordering by Square Confinement
AB block copolymers pack cylinders or monolayers of spheres in hexagonal latticesSCFT simulations show we can use graphoepitaxy with square wells to force tetragonal (square) packingLimitations:
Need to add majority block A homopolymer (φA=0.23, Nh/N =1.75)Surface/bulk competition restricts method to small lattices
Total A segment concentration
A homopolymer segment concentrationSupport: FENA-
MARCO, UCLA
![Page 29: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Polymer – substrate interaction
Multi-layer Films of Spherical AB Diblocks
Gila Stein and Ed Kramer
BCC spheres – 110 planeHCP spheres – 111 plane
(p6m 2D symmetry)
1 layermany layers
Polymer – airinteraction
![Page 30: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
HCP spheres (p6m 2D symmetry)
a2
a1
a1 / a2 = 1
a2
a1
BCC spheres – 110 plane
a1 / a2 = 2 /√3 = 1.155
a2
a1
Fm3m spheres – 100 planeFace-centered orthorhombic
1 < a1 / a2 < 2 /√3
Stein-Kramer experiments reveal 3 structures:
![Page 31: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
HCP
BCC
Fmmm
a1 a2
1.00
1.04
1.08
1.12
1.16
0 5 10 15 20# Layers
a 1 /
a 2
Experiment
hcp Fmmm bcc (bulk behavior)
![Page 32: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
A Simple Theory• Assume that the surface excess free energy
contributions are negligible beyond a single layer film, n=1
• The free energy per chain as a function of the order parameter η =a1/a2 is:
• The model can be parameterized by SCFT simulations of a 1-layer system (d1,f1) and a unit cell calculation of a bulk system (d1
b, fb)
![Page 33: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Theory vs. Experiment• The theory + SCFT explains the observation of a 1st
order transition!• The transition is predicted at n=7 (χN=60) vs. n=4 (expt.)
G. E. Stein et. al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 158302 (2007)
![Page 34: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
X Ia3dX Lam
X DIS
Physicalpath
w plane
Beyond Mean-Field TheoryIn many situations, mean-field theory is inaccurate
Polymer solutionsMelts near a critical point or ODT
In such cases, the field theory is dominated by w configurations far from any saddle point w*
How do we statistically sample the full field theory?
![Page 35: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
The “Sign Problem”When sampling a complex field theory, the statistical weight exp( – H[w]) is not positive-definite
Phase oscillations associated with the factor exp(-i HI[w]) dramatically slows the convergence of stochastic sampling methods, e.g. MC techniques
This sign problem is encountered in other branches of chemistry and physics: QCD, lattice gauge theory, correlated electrons, quantum rate processes
![Page 36: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
Complex Langevin Sampling (Parisi, Klauder 1983)
A method to circumvent the sign problem in polymer simulations (V. Ganesan)Extend the field w(r) to the complex planeCompute averages by:
The CL method is a stochastic dynamics that serves toVerify the existence of the real, positive weight P[wR,wI] To importance sample the distribution
![Page 37: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
Complex Langevin DynamicsA Langevin dynamics in the complex plane for generating Markov chains with stationary distribution P[wR, wI]
Thermal noise is asymmetrically placed and is Gaussian and white satisfying usual fluctuation-dissipation relation:
![Page 38: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
Order-disorder transition of diblock copolymers(E. Lennon)
f=0.396
χN = 14 ! 11
C=nRgd/V =60.0
L=17.8 Rg
483 lattice
IC: 23 unit cells of stress-free gyroid from SCFT
![Page 39: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
Polyelectrolyte Complexation: Complex Coacervates
Aqueous mixtures of polyanions and polycations complex to form dense liquid aggregatesFluctuation-dominated: SCFT fails!Applications include:
Food/drug encapsulationDrug/gene delivery vehiclesPurification/separationsBio-inspired adhesives
Cooper et al (2005) Curr Opin Coll. & Interf. Sci.10, 52-78.
H. Waite (UCSB) “Sandcastle worms”
+ + +
--
-
![Page 40: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
A Symmetric Model of Coacervation
In the simplest case, assume symmetric polyacids & polybases mixed in equal proportions (no counterions)Polymers are flexible and carry total charge Z§ =§ σNImplicit solventInteractions: Coulomb and excluded volume
+ +
+
+
- -
--
Uniform dielectric medium: ε
![Page 41: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
Corresponding Field-Theory Model
lB =e2 /ε kBT: Bjerrum length
v: Excluded volume parameter
w: fluctuating chemical pot.
φ: fluctuating electrostatic pot.
![Page 42: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/42.jpg)
Complex CoacervationCL Simulations of the Field Theory Model
• 2D, 32x32 Rg02
• C=2.0 B=1.0 E=64000
![Page 43: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
Future workWe believe that our CL simulation method can be used to explore the phase behavior of a broad range of PE complexation phenomena:
Block copolyampholytesBlock copolymers with charged blocks and uncharged blocks (hydrophobic or hydrophilic)Charged graft, star, and branched polymersPolymer-surfactant complexes Delivery vehicles:
EnzymesDrugsGenes
![Page 44: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)
Complexation of oppositely charged diblocks
2D, 16x16 Rg02
C=11.0 B=0.1 E=64000
![Page 45: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/45.jpg)
A Hybrid Particle-Field Simulation ApproachS. W. Sides et. al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 250601 (2006)
Combine a field-based description of a polymeric fluid with a particle-baseddescription of the nanoparticlesThe particles are described as cavitiesin the fluid. They can:
Be of arbitrary size, shape, and aspect ratioHave a surface treatment to attract or repel any fluid componentHave grafted polymers of any architecture on their surfaces
The fluid field equations are solved inside the cavities for computational efficiencyThe forces on the particles can computed in a single sweep of the fluid fieldA variety of MC and BD update schemes can be applied
![Page 46: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/46.jpg)
Block Copolymer Morphology Change Induced by Nanoparticles (BJ Kim, et. al. PRL 96, 250601 (2006))
By adding PS coated nanoparticles
from S. W. Sides, G. H. Fredrickson
Hybrid FTS PS-b-P2VP 58k-57k/ Au-PSLow particle conc. Low particle conc.
High particle conc. High particle conc.
Lamellar
Hexagonal
![Page 47: Glenn Fredrickson of UCSB](https://reader034.fdocuments.net/reader034/viewer/2022051513/546390b7b1af9fc9588b459e/html5/thumbnails/47.jpg)
Summary“Field-based” computer simulations are powerful tools for exploring equilibrium self-assembly in complex polymer formulationsGood numerical methods are essential!
Free energy evaluation, multiscale methods, and numerical RG remain to be explored
Emerging areas areHybrid simulations with nanoparticles and colloidsPolyelectrolyte complexesSupramolecular polymersNonequilibrium extensions to coupled flow and structure
This is an exciting frontier research area that brings together topics from
Theoretical physics and applied mathNumerical and computational sciencesMaterials scienceReal-world applications!
The Equilibrium Theory of Inhomogeneous Polymers (Oxford, 2006)G. H. Fredrickson et. al., Macromolecules 35, 16 (2002)