Topic: Diversifying Polymer Properties through Precision Microstructure Engineering
Speaker: Associate Professor Zhong Mingjiang, Yale University (Yale)
Date and time: July 17, 14:00–15:00
Venue: Room 103, #5 Buidling of SPST
Host: Yan Jiajun
Abstract:
The material properties of polymers are strongly influenced by their microstructures, such as monomer sequence, architecture, and tacticity. This presentation introduces various precision synthesis methods to access microstructure-engineered homopolymers and copolymers with diversified properties. The presenter will first report the recent progress in his research group on the controlled synthesis and characterization of multicomponent bottlebrush block copolymers containing sequence-defined side chains. Hierarchically assembled nanostructures were constructed with broadly tunable characteristic lengths. The concept of precision synthesis will then be extended to the preparation of (hyper) branched polymers in the second part of the presentation. A site-specifically initiated living branching polymerization with controlled degree of branching was realized through a polymerization-induced radical generation process. Kinetic modeling and mechanistic studies were carried out to enhance the scalability and versatility of the branching polymerization. Finally, a bimetallic molecular catalyst used for stereocontrolled living radical polymerization will be introduced. The impact of backbone stereoregularity on the thermomechanical and thermo-responsive properties of the prepared polymers will be discussed.
Biography:
Zhong Mingjiang is an associate professor of chemical & environmental engineering and of chemistry at Yale University. He holds a BS from Peking University in China and a MS and PhD from Carnegie Mellon University. Before his current position, Zhong was a postdoctoral scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His lab uses interdisciplinary applications of polymer science and engineering, synthetic and physical materials chemistry, and catalysis to address challenges in global health and sustainability. Zhong received US National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, and 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award and was named an ACS PMSE Young Investigator.