Accelerated discovery and development of functionalised block copolymers using continuous-flow anionic polymerisation platforms

阴离子聚合是一种工业上建立的合成聚合物的方法，具有确定的分子量和结构。这包括嵌段共聚物的形成，这形成了具有高度理想性能的先进纳米材料。不幸的是，形成嵌段共聚物的阴离子聚合是一个具有挑战性的合成过程，这意味着很难对参数和产品组成进行有效的优化。因此，简化整个过程在工业和学术上都是非常可取的，因为它可以提供负担得起的新型先进和可持续的聚合物。该项目旨在开发新的和用户友好的技术，用于高通量，快速原型和优化阴离子共聚和聚合物功能化。实验方法将包括采用配备在线监测和计算控制接口的连续流反应器来处理阴离子聚合过程。这些反应器将能够快速优化条件和聚合物原型。学生将首先在达勒姆大学的Lian Hutchings教授实验室接受阴离子聚合的培训。然后他们将搬到利兹，在那里他们将在尼克·沃伦博士的实验室工作，该实验室是胶体和聚合物工程、数字制造和新兴技术小组的一部分。在这里，他们将建造能够进行阴离子聚合的反应器，并将其用于聚合系统的快速原型设计。

Anionic polymerisation is an industrially established method of synthesising polymers with defined molecular weights and architectures. This includes the formation of block copolymers, which form advanced nanomaterials with highly desirable properties. Unfortunately, anionic polymerisation for the formation of block copolymers is a synthetically challenging process meaning it is difficult to conduct efficient optimization of parameters and product composition. Streamlining this overall process would therefore be highly desirable both industrially and academically since it could provide affordable new advanced and sustainable polymers. This project aims to develop new and user friendly techniques for high-throughput, rapid proto-typing and optimisation of anionic copolymerisation and polymer functionalization. The experimental approach will involve adapting continuous-flow reactors equipped with online monitoring and computational control interfaces to the anionic polymerisation process. These reactors would then enable rapid optimization of conditions and prototyping of polymers The student will first be trained in anionic polymerisation at the University of Durham within Prof Lian Hutchings laboratories. They will then move to Leeds where they will work within Dr Nick Warren's laboratories which is part of both the Colloid and Polymer Engineering and Digital Manufacturing and emerging technology groups. Here, they will build reactors which are capable of anionic polymerisation and exploit them for rapid prototyping of polymerisation systems.