Dr. Krzysztof Matyjaszewski

Abstract:

Various well-defined polymers with precisely controlled macromolecular architecture were prepared under environmentally benign conditions, with ppm of catalysts, in an aqueous environment, and in open-air with temporal control by light, electrical current, mechanical forces, or benign chemicals such as ascorbic acid.  The dynamic exchange between active radicals and dormant species catalyzed by ppm amounts of copper catalyst in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) enabled access to uniform star, comb, bottlebrush, or cyclic polymers with controlled chain composition, such as block, gradient, or periodic structures. Macromolecular engineering provided access to designed bioconjugates by covalently linking synthetic polymers with proteins or nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and attaching polymers to inorganic surfaces such as nanoparticles or flat wafers. Such well-defined polymers and hybrid materials outperform conventional commercial products; they can self-assemble, self-repair, depolymerize back to monomers, and respond to external stimuli. They find applications in the areas of biomedicine, environment, and energy.