We come into everyday contact with polymers more than with any other kind of material. Polymers have an immense range of properties; some can form fibers strong enough to stop a bullet while some are soft and stretchable like rubber bands. Because of their immense diversity, we are on the verge of a major expansion in what polymers can do and how we use them. There are remarkable opportunities to pursue in areas of biotechnology. They are the basis of the nanotechnology revolution through their use as photoresists. In the future, polymers can be expected to play a role in almost all technological advances, since we can now control their molecular structure, atom by atom, to form synthetic polymers with uses limited only by our imagination. .
Polymers for Nanotechnology
We are creating polymers that can form structures as small as 50 nm, roughly 1/10,000th the size of the human hair. These materials will be useful in the microelectronics industry and, more importantly, in developing areas of nanobiotechnology. The group is working with the computer industry to develop next generation resists for use by Intel and other companies for the design of ultrahigh speed microprocessors. Other studies involve collaborations to build devices using molecular motors extracted from living cells and highly sensitive sensors that can identify proteins and antibodies.
Self-assembling Polymers
The research group is also interested in block copolymers as self-organizing polymer structures. Depending on composition and design, they can result in many different and interesting structures which offer great opportunities for both the chemist and the physicist. For example, using block copolymers we have produced polymer films with surface energies rivaling Teflon, the fluorinated polymer. Using chemical techniques known as living polymerization, we have produced block copolymers that have both random coil and liquid crystalline components. Understanding the interplay between the self-organizing behavior of the block copolymer and the LC component is now underway.
Environmentally and Biologically Friendly Materials
The creation of materials that consider the environment provides an opportunity for clever molecular design and the use of fundamental chemical concepts. Supercritical CO2 is an environmentally friendly solvent that has no surface tension and low viscosity. Polymers tailored to this solvent are being invented in our group for non-toxic, non-fouling surfaces suited for marine and biological uses. Fundamental studies of surfaces are being undertaken with these polymers. Reworkable thermosets that depend on weak chemical links that are intentionally inserted in the polymer network are also being invented at Cornell and may one day enable recycling of computers.
The synthsis of polymers using living polymerization can lead to molecular stuctures with narrow molecular weight distributions. Such living methods include living radical polymerization (shown here), and anionic polymerization. The polymer in the figure is a liquid crystalline polymer made from an unusual styrene monomer.
Information about these and other research areas can be found at our group web site.
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