Scope of the meeting: 

  In modern material science, composite materials consisting of polymers and solids gained significant interest in recent years. They can be engineered in multiple ways with distinct properties, which lead to new technical applications (e.g. adhesion or coating), which could not be achieved with traditional one-component materials. However, there is a considerable lack of understanding the scientific background and the molecular behavior of those polymer-solid-composites. This hampers a systematic improvement of composites as well as the design of new materials (which components fit best for the targeted property?).  This is especially true for the immediate interface between the solid and the polymer and the so-called interphase of the polymer in the vicinity of the surface. Depending on the particular system or property, this size of the interphase varies from a few nanometers to several micrometers and, thus, is  far bigger than comparable regions in typical inorganic materials. Generally spoken, we know very little about the molecular constitution and the local polymer properties and therefore, are unable to predict the macroscopic behavior and finally the applicability of the composite. The situation even worsens when we reach the nano-scale, where dispersed particles become smaller and smaller and polymers completly lose their bulk-properties. Due to the technical (and economical!) importance of composite materials, it is mandatory to investigate this polymer-solid-interface in more detail by means of experiments and theoretical approaches.

To tackle this problem, a DFG priority program (SPP1369 Polymer-solid contacts: interfaces and interphases) has been founded. Its research is closely related to the content of this conference.