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

美国-保加利亚“聚环氧乙烷缔合星形聚合物”联合合作研究项目是纽约州立大学环境科学与林业学院约翰内斯·斯米德博士研究小组和保加利亚科学院聚合物研究所克里斯托·茨文塔诺夫博士研究小组资助的续期。该项目涉及聚（环氧乙烷）相关材料的合成、性能和利用，聚（环氧乙烷）是保加利亚和美国生产的一种聚合物。具体来说，这项工作将在纽约州立大学-锡拉丘兹校区进行，将涉及带有聚环氧乙烷臂的结合星形聚合物，末端覆盖有疏水片段。这种星形聚合物，目前正在我们的实验室进行研究，当添加到水中时，会导致相分离，形成富含聚合物的凝胶相。该相对疏水有机溶质具有高容量和亲和力。本项目旨在合成并表征具有PEO臂的新型结合型两亲星形聚合物，寻找控制水中相分离和有机溶质向凝胶相转移的因素，探索从水中提取有机溶质后回收星形聚合物的方法。这一理论物理研究计划通过使美国和保加利亚的顶尖专家能够结合互补的人才，并在共同感兴趣和能力强的领域汇集研究资源，实现了推进科学的计划目标。＊＊＊

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. ***