379231 event 1424252155 1475891175 MSE PhD Proposal: James Iocozzia
Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Time: 11am-1pm
Location: Molecular Science and Engineering Building (MoSE) 1222

Committee:
Zhiqun Lin (Advisor/MSE)
Dong Qin (MSE)
Paul Russo (MSE)
Vladimir Tsukruk (MSE)
John Zhang (Chemistry)

Title: Hard and Soft Nanocomposites via Living Polymerization from High Functionality Polyols

Abstract:
Controlled living polymerization techniques, such as ATRP and RAFT, have enabled the synthesis of well-defined, monodisperse polymer structures can possess many different compositions
possessing telechelic and/or pendant functionality. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the immensely useful class of chemistry known as "click" chemistry enables different materials to
essentially be connected together easily and in high yield under moderated conditions. In parallel, the rational design and synthesis of high functionality hyperbranched polyglycerols (HPG) by
anionic ring-opening multibranching polymerization (ROMBP) are ideal initiator sites for creating densely packed polymer structures spanning multiple dimensions and length scales or serve a
click sites for attaching many other large or small synthetic or biological moieties. These structures can be used as nanoreactors for the synthesis of varied nanocrystalline and soft structures.
Though similar in many ways, HPGs possess several distinct advantages over their linear equivalent poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and industry standard including improved solubility, greater
biocompatability, higher surface functionality and lower viscosity. Owing to the large hydroxyl group functionality of such structures, many different chemistries can be performed on them
including initiation and click functionalization. This work aims to investigate the synthesis and use of HPG-based polymeric/click structures for crafting and characterizing spherical and linear
hard and soft nanomaterials via controlled living polymerization and click chemistry  techniques  for applications in drug delivery, superparamagnetism,  surface antifouling and biological/environmental
sensing among several others. 

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