US-Bulgaria Cooperative Research on Associative Star Polymerd of Poly(ethlene oxide)

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9411483 Smid This U.S.-Bulgaria Joint Cooperative Research project on "Associative Star Polymers of Poly(ethylene oxide)" is a renewal of a grant between the research group of Dr. Johannes Smid of the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry and that of Dr. Christo Tsventanov of the Institute of Polymers of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The project deals with the synthesis, properties and utilization of materials related to poly(ethylene oxide), a polymer manufactured in both Bulgaria and the United States. Specifically, the work to be performed at the SUNY- Syracuse campus would involve associative star polymers with poly(ethylene oxide) arms end-capped with a hydrophobic moiety. Such star polymers, presently being investigated in our laboratory, cause phase separation when added to water, with formation of a polymer rich gel phase. This phase has a high capacity and affinity for hydrophobic organic solutes. The project aims to synthesize and characterize new associative amphophilic star polymers with PEO arms, to find the factors that govern the phase separation in water and that control the transfer of organic solutes to the gel phase, and to explore methods to recover the star polymers after extracting the organic solutes from water. This proposed research in theoretical physics fulfills the program objectives of advancing science by enabling leading experts in the U.S. and Bulgaria to combine complementary talents and pool research resources in areas of strong mutual interest and competence. ***