Theory and Simulation of Polymers at Interfaces
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Anna C. Balazs, Guest Editor for this issue of MRS Bulletin, pined the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh in September 1996, having formerly been with the institution's Materials Science and Engineering Department. She is the Bicentennial Engineering Alumni Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor. Prior to joining the University of Pittsburgh in 1987, she was a postdoctoral researcher in the Polymer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts—
MRS BULLETIN/JANUARY 1997
tively weak interfaces. To enhance the structural integrity of the blend, copolymer "compatibilizers" are added to the mixture. These chains localize at the interface between the immiscible polymers, enhance the adhesion between the phase-separated regions, and thereby improve the mechanical properties of the blend. On an impenetrable interface, polymer films or coatings are commonly used to modify the properties of the underlying substrate. For example the polymer layer can be utilized to tailor biocompatibility, wettability, or roughness of the surface. Polymers anchored to solid surfaces can also be used to control the interaction be-
Amherst. She obtained her PhD degree in materials science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research involves using statistical mechanics and computer simulations to model the properties of polymer blends, the aggregation of associating polymers, and polymersurface interactions. Balazs was the organizer for the 1994 American Chemical Society Polymers at Surfaces and Interfaces Workshop. She is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and is on the editorial boards of Macromolecules, Langmuir, Accounts of
Chemical Research, and Macromolecular Theory and Simulations. Balazs
can be reached at 1231 Benedum Hall, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; phone 412-648-9250; fax 412-624-9639; e-mail balazs® vms.cis.pitt.edu. Arlette R.C. Baljon received her PhD degree in physics from the University of Chicago. Currently she is a research associate at the Cornell University Supercomputer Center and Chemical Engineering Department. In her research,
tween these surfaces. Thus the tethered layer can promote the adhesion between dissimilar solids or prevent the aggregation of colloidal particles. To optimize the performance of such systems, it is necessary to isolate the molecular factors that control the interfacial behavior. Theory and computer simulations can help address this challenge. A significant advantage of theoretical calculations and computer simulations is that they allow us to explore vast regions of parameter space in relatively short periods of time. Thus we can readily assess how variations in polymer architecture, surface topology, and the interaction energies will affect the properties of polymeric interfaces. This is particularly true with the advent of faster workstations, which make it increasingly feasible to perform more realistic computer simulations of poly
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