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The
present project is dedicated to a systematic experimental and theoretical
investigation of equilibrium and dynamic characteristics of polymer gels
with entrapped linear rodlike macromolecules capable to self-organization.
The main
aims of the project are:
1) to
prepare new types of composite hydrogels consisting of flexible
polyacrylamide network loaded with newly synthesized rodlike linear
polyelectrolytes, which are capable to self-assembly in aqueous media due
to hydrophobic character of their main chain;
2)
to study the effect of rodlike macromolecules on the strengthening of
highly swollen gel which is promising for the application of gels as
superabsorbents;
3) to
study the self-aggregation of rodlike macromolecules inside the gel,
including the liquid-crystalline ordering, a particular attention being
paid to the possibility of regulation of the emerging microstructures by
external stimuli exploiting the responsive properties of the gels;
4) to
study the dynamics of entrapped macromolecules inside the network to obtain
information about the self-assembly of the macromolecules and their
interaction with network chains.
Along with traditional investigation of equilibrium characteristics
of the gels with embedded macromolecules, a particular attention will be
paid to the study of molecular dynamics in the system. The theoretical
approaches will be developed to describe the equilibrium and dynamic
properties of gels loaded with linear rodlike macromolecules.
These studies will permit to better understand a correlation of the
macroscopic properties of the composite gels with their microstructures,
which is important in the unfolding of numerous practical applications of
these gels.
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