In new research, Texas A&M University scientists revealed for the first time a single microscopic defect called a “twin” in a soft-block copolymer using an advanced electron microscopy technique. This defect may be utilized in the future to create materials with novel acoustic and photonic properties.
“This defect is like a black swan — something special going on that isn’t typical,” said Dr. Edwin Thomas. “Although we chose a certain polymer for our study, I think the twin defect will be fairly universal across a bunch of similar soft matter systems, like oils, surfactants, biological materials and natural polymers. Therefore, our findings will be valuable to diverse research across the soft matter field.”
The results of the study are detailed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This research was supported by a grant from the NSF.
FEATURED RESEARCHER
Dr. Edwin L. “Ned” Thomas
- Professor, Materials Science & Engineering
- Erle Nye ’59 Chair II Hagler Fellow