Chemistry Department is pleased to host Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar Series, Tuesday’s at 12:10 pm. Please see Ithaca College Chemistry web page.
Guest Speaker Melanie Chiu Ph.D. of Stony Brook University, NY will be joining us on Tuesday, December 7th at 12:10 pm will present:
Light as Tool for Polymer Synthesis
This seminar will explore fundamental developments in polymer synthesis, including methods for controlling polymer dispersity and copolymer sequence. Growing evidence indicates that these parameters, dispersity and sequence, profoundly impact polymer material properties, such thermal stability and degradation profiles. Yet, methods for high-resolution control over these parameters are rare, preventing systematic correlation of polymer structure with material functions. We have developed new classes of photoswitchable initiators and catalyst systems that enable dynamic manipulation of dispersity and copolymer sequence, respectively. This work is the first demonstration of using light to deterministically control the dispersity of poly(vinyl ethers) and the sequence of poly(lactides). These results serve as a foundation for further exploring external control of polymer structure, and for accessing new polymer structures with tunable properties.