Application of Redox-Switchable Polymerization for the Synthesis of Advanced Polymeric Materials

氧化还原切换聚合在先进高分子材料合成中的应用

• 批准号: 1955926
• 负责人: Dunwei Wang
• 金额: $ 40万
• 依托单位: Boston College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-08-15 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1955926&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Application; Redox; Switchable; Polymerization; Synthesis

With this award, the Chemical Catalysis Program of the NSF Division of Chemistry is supporting the research of Dr. Jeffery A. Byers of the Department of Chemistry at Boston College to develop new catalysts that can change what type of polymer is produced when exposed to external stimuli such as oxidants, reductants, or electrolysis. These switchable catalytic polymerization tools are being used to accelerate the development of sophisticated materials with tailored physical and mechanical properties, including degradable plastics. A diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students are being trained in catalyst development and polymer synthesis. A summer research program for local high school students called “Paper to Plastics” is being continued, evolved, and expanded to spark interest in STEM fields and to communicate the needs and challenges involved with the development of sustainable materials with useful properties.Redox-switchable polymerization catalysts are being developed to control block co-polymerization processes and polymer molecular weight distributions. An iron-catalyst system discovered by Dr. Byers and his research group undergoes a change in monomer selectivity when exposed to redox reagents and is being adapted to expand the types of monomers that can engage in redox-switchable polymerization reactions. Activation of this catalyst system with electrical current is being investigated to remove the need for chemical redox reagents and further broaden substrate scope to include reagents that need to be used under pressure. Electrolysis is also being studied to control molecular weight distributions through catalyst redox-switching, which provides additional opportunities to control polymer characteristics. The overarching goal of these activities is to enable the synthesis of sophisticated polymeric materials with desirable materials properties.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

有了这个奖项，美国国家科学基金会化学部的化学催化计划正在支持杰弗里·A。波士顿学院化学系的Byers开发新的催化剂，可以改变暴露于氧化剂，还原剂或电解等外部刺激时产生的聚合物类型。这些可切换的催化聚合工具正被用于加速开发具有定制物理和机械性能的复杂材料，包括可降解塑料。一个多样化的本科生和研究生群体正在接受催化剂开发和聚合物合成方面的培训。为激发学生对STEM领域的兴趣，并交流开发具有实用性能的可持续材料的需求和挑战，正在继续、发展和扩大面向当地高中生的暑期研究项目“从纸到塑料”。正在开发氧化还原可切换聚合催化剂，以控制嵌段共聚过程和聚合物分子量分布。Byers博士和他的研究小组发现的铁催化剂系统在接触氧化还原试剂时会发生单体选择性的变化，并且正在适应扩大可以参与氧化还原可切换聚合反应的单体类型。目前正在研究用电流活化这种催化剂体系，以消除对化学氧化还原试剂的需求，并进一步拓宽底物范围，以包括需要在压力下使用的试剂。还正在研究电解通过催化剂氧化还原转换来控制分子量分布，这为控制聚合物特性提供了额外的机会。这些活动的首要目标是使合成具有理想材料性能的复杂聚合物材料成为可能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。