NWO-DFG. Spreading Information in Polymer Brushes: Fluid Entrapment and Transport through Spatially-Controlled Barrier Layers

• Applicant: Quinn Alexander Besford, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers ; Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials ; Physical Chemistry of Molecules, Liquids and Interfaces, Biophysical Chemistry ; Polymer Materials
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 573858969

This project proposes the development of a new class of polymer brush materials that are capable of spatially controlled fluid entrapment and transport, enabled by selectively crystallisable layers. The aim is to achieve nanoscale control over chemical information flow, inspired by biological systems that transduce signals in confined reaction spaces - a major largely unmet challenge in materials science. Work towards this goal has focused on soft hydrogel-based systems, which respond or adapt to local chemical changes, leading to signal transduction often macroscopically (i.e., the entire material may deform in response to a local stimulus). Our approach targets a much finer spatial resolution, towards intelligence integration into nanoscopic soft information processing devices. Our linkage project will leverage nanoscopic polymer brush films that can be selectively "activated" in spatially localized areas via laser-induced heating, creating temporal permeability for the vertical transport of fluids, which can then be transported laterally through the lower brush layers. We will develop the technology for entrapping polar and non-polar fluids, towards controlling information transport in polymer layers tens of nanometers in thickness, ultimately towards autocatalytic information spreading in response to stimuli. These goals will be reached through interlinked work packages distributed between the Leibniz Institute für Polymerforschung Dresden (Germany) and The University of Twente, Enschede (The Netherlands), as part of the joint Dutch Research Council (NWO) and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) initiative. Specifically, our tasks are 1) synthesis of robust brush architectures, 2) investigating vertical solvent transport, 3) molecular-scale mapping of swelling and mobility, 4) spatiotemporal patterning by local stimulation, and 5) long-range information processing and actuation. Our consortium project brings together expertise in polymer chemistry, nanofabrication, and soft matter physics. The anticipated outcomes include foundational insights towards the next generation of responsive and adaptive materials, supporting advances in soft robotics and chemical computing towards the nanoscale.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Netherlands
• Partner Organisation: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Frieder Mugele