Fundamentals and development of advanced polymer reaction engineering for precision production of smart functional polymer materials

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We consume polymers more than all other types of synthetic materials combined. Manufacturing of polymers and their products represents an important industrial sector in Canada and it annually generates >$30 billions of total revenues (Industry Canada). Polymers are chain molecules and their materials properties are determined by chain microstructure, which include molecular weight, composition, sequence, tacticity, topology, functionality, etc. The abundance in the chain microstructure provides unlimited possibilities in developing new polymers and in innovating existing polymers. With establishment of structure-morphology-property relationships, we are approaching a new age of digital synthesis and precision production of polymers. The key lies in the design and precise control of chain microstructure for targeted material properties, which are desired in applications. ******My research program is in the area of polymer reaction engineering, which bridges the lab-scale polymer chemistry and industrial polymer production. My research objective is to study fundamentals of polymer reaction engineering and to develop advanced technologies that allow us to design and produce polymers having targeted chain microstructure and properties. I propose to work on three areas, which build on my strength in reaction engineering combined with extensive experience in polymer chemistry and material science. The work involves both theoretical development and experimentation, best for training HQPs with both skills highly demanded by industries.******Area 1 is to study high-conversion controlled radical polymerization (CRP). CRP represents a major advance in polymer chemistry in the recent decades. It combines the good control of living ionic polymerization and the moderate reaction conditions of radical polymerization. However, there are several major challenges facing its commercial exploitations, caused by diffusion-controlled reactions. My objective is to investigate their mechanisms and to develop strategies to tackle the challenges. Area 2 is to study surface modification by CRP grafting. Chemical modification of bulk materials is often required to assure biocompatibility and surface-initiated CRP provides a powerful method. Despite of thousands of investigations reported, fundamental questions, such as, how thick can we grow polymer layer from surface, still remain. My objective is to provide answer to such questions that would greatly help further development of the whole area. Area 3 is to develop smart materials from CRP. Polymers having unprecedented microstructure and functionality will be designed and precisely prepared using model-based CRP technologies and be evaluated as extractors in separation of natural products. My objective is to reduce the use of large amount volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the unit operation.