{"689742":{"#nid":"689742","#data":{"type":"event","title":"MS Defense by Joaquin Stella","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoaquin Stella\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdvisor: Prof. Brettmann\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ewill defend a master\u0027s thesis entitled\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAluminum Isopropoxide: A Versatile Crosslinker for the Development of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOn\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETuesday, April 21 at 3:00 p.m.\u003Cbr\u003EEBB Conference Room 5029\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eand\/or\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Virtually via MS Teams or Zoom\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/l\/meetup-join\/19%3ameeting_ZWI4NmZhNjItN2YxYi00N2UwLWJhMjYtNDM4NGRiMDRhMDg4%40thread.v2\/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22482198bb-ae7b-4b25-8b7a-6d7f32faa083%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22d94c616a-028c-45a9-9c4a-6d0ca86cc35e%22%7d\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/l\/meetup-join\/19%3ameeting_ZWI4NmZhNjItN2YxYi00N2UwLWJhMjYtNDM4NGRiMDRhMDg4%40thread.v2\/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22482198bb-ae7b-4b25-8b7a-6d7f32faa083%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22d94c616a-028c-45a9-9c4a-6d0ca86cc35e%22%7d\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Prof. Blair Brettmann \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (Advisor)\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Prof. Lukas Graber \u2013 School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Prof. Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena\u0026nbsp;\u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganic-inorganic (OI) hybrid materials are a class of materials combining organic and inorganic components at the molecular level, creating a synergistic effect in properties that is greater than the sum of each part. Epoxy resins are known for having high chemical and corrosion resistance, high impact resistance, toughness, and outstanding adhesion. They are widely used as adhesives, high-performance composite matrices for aerospace and sporting goods, and protective coatings against corrosive and radiative environments. By incorporating inorganic materials into the epoxy matrix at the molecular level, properties of the organic epoxy and the inorganic fillers can be covalently connected, decreasing the risks of phase separation and leading to a homogenous hybrid material. Existing epoxy OI hybrid materials typically rely on silicon as the inorganic component and require the addition of hardeners, catalysts, or solvents to generate a crosslink network. Aluminum isopropoxide (AIP) presents an opportunity for the development of a two-part epoxy \u2013 AIP hybrid system. AIP takes on a dual-functional role as both an initiator for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of the epoxide ring and as an inorganic crosslinking center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this work, I demonstrate that AIP concentration influences the thermal properties of the epoxy \u2013 AIP network and can match or exceed that of epoxy resins cured with traditional hardeners. Curing was carried out under high pressure (300 psi) to suppress bubbling from the volatilization of free isopropanol generated during the reaction, enabling the formation of consistent, defect-free hybrid materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis work analyzes and compares the results of three epoxy systems: a commercial epoxy resin (EC 1159A), 2,2-Bis(4-glycidyloxyphenyl)propane \/ Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA), and Bis(7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptan-3-ylmethyl) adipate \u0026nbsp;(BECHMA). Thermal properties of the commercial epoxy \u2013 AIP, DGEBA \u2013 AIP, and BECHMA \u2013 AIP systems cured at varying AIP concentrations revealed the effects AIP has on the crosslinking network and the thermal stability of the systems. At 15 wt% AIP, a more homogenous crosslinked network formed, evidenced by the higher reported values for glass transition and onset of thermal degradation, while increased AIP concentrations resulted in hybrids with a greater resistance to total thermal degradation and higher thermal stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOverall, this work highlights the strong initiation properties of AIP towards the ROP reaction of epoxide rings. Combined with its tri-functional nature, AIP is a powerful cross-linker that is applicable across the investigated systems and can be used to cure epoxy resins with relative simplicity, resulting in consistent effects on the thermal properties.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAluminum Isopropoxide: A Versatile Crosslinker for the Development of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Aluminum Isopropoxide: A Versatile Crosslinker for the Development of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials "}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-04-14 16:40:48","changed_gmt":"2026-04-14 16:40:48","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-04-21T15:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-04-21T16:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-04-21T16:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-04-21 19:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-04-21 20:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-04-21 20:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"EBB Conference Room 5029 and\/or  Virtually via MS Teams or Zoom","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"111531","name":"ms defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}