The innovation engine for new materials

Marisa E. Gliege

Marisa E. Gliege

Major: 

Chemical Engineering

University: 

Washington State University

Mentor(s): 

Paula Malo de Molina
Juntae Kim

Faculty Sponsor(s): 

Matthew E. Helgeson

Faculty Sponsor's Department(s): 

Chemical Engineering

Project Title: 

Self Assembly of Nanodrolpets Using Stimuli Responsive Polymers

Project Description: 

Colloidal gels have been employed in coatings, paintings, and other consumer products. In the preparation of these gels, nanoemulsions are utilized to enhance storage of hydrophobic compounds, such as hydrophobic cancer drugs. Helgeson et. al. have reported that incorporating end-functionalized oligomeric polymers in nanoemulsions results in a temperature dependent colloidal gelation. We hypothesize that increasing the hydrophobicity of the telechelic end group of the polymer and length of the oligomer will produce decreasing temperatures of gelation. For this purpose, α,ω- alkyl polyethylene glycol (PEG) oligomers with varying end group and PEG chain length were synthesized and characterized via NMR spectroscopy. The gelation temperature and elastic modulus of the nanoemulsions with end-functionalized oligomers was studied with rheology. Our experiments showed a decreasing gelation temperature as the alkyl chain length of the polymers was increased. This work indicates that the rheology of the nanoemulsions can be tailored by tuning the architecture of the telechelic polymers.