BERRY RESEARCH GROUP
The Berry Research Group
This group is currently involved in the synthesis of novel materials that self-assemble. The self-assembly behavior of these materials will then be manipulated to create nanoscale architectures that will enable next-generation technologies such as organic photovoltaics.
Current Research
Polymer-Tethered Nanoparticles. Polymer-tethered nanoparticles are interesting systems that may exhibit very rich self-assembly behavior. The goal of this project is to synthesize a library of PTNPs and study their self-assembly behavior using SEM, TEM, XRD, SAXS, and AFM. Potential applications include organic photovoltaics, fuel cells, catalysts, and photonics.
Rod-Coil Block Copolymers. Rod-coil block copolymers contain a flexible and a rigid segment. These systems also show distinctive self-assembly. The goal of this project is to study the self-assembly of these materials during unconventional annealing techniques such as zone annealing , flow coating, or solvent annealing. Applications include photovoltaics and field-effect transistors.
Zone Annealing of Block Copolymers. Block-copolymers self-assemble into various nanoscale architectures. Berry et al. have shown that zone annealing is a useful method for creating oriented defect free systems. The goal of this project is to better understand the fundamentals of z one-annealing. Potential applications include high density storage and photonics.]
