CAREER: Dendritic Polymers and Polymer Science Curriculum Development at the Colorado School of Mines

9985221诺斯该奖项将支持继续开发树枝状支化聚合物形成技术的研究，并对所得产品进行表征。该技术将活性聚合方法与收敛合成方法相结合，可用于生产树枝状聚苯乙烯、聚二烯、聚甲基丙烯酸烷基酯S等相对较窄的分子量分布。该合成是通过首先通过活性方法引发和聚合低分子量链来完成的；然后，活性端与具有可聚合基团和能够与生长链端定量偶联的部分的化合物反应。这种反应物单独或与共聚单体缓慢加入，会导致链的聚合，最终形成核心有活性链末端的树枝状聚合物。然后，该链端可以用各种基团官能化，或者可以用于引发添加的共聚单体。这种合成方法允许大量的结构变化，从而产生许多不同的树枝状支化聚合物。需要研究的主要方面包括反应的进展、不同树枝状聚合物主链的合成、支化点之间的相对分子质量、构型共聚物的形态以及这些材料及其与线性聚合物的共混物的溶液、流变性和其他物理性质。对这些新材料的表征将提高对支化结构和物理性能之间关系的理解，并可以实现与线性版本的聚合物的直接比较。因为这种方法可以很容易地生产出相当数量的成品。由于这种方法可以很容易地生产相当数量的材料，所以可以确定这种树枝状聚合物的用途。该项目的教育方面将改进聚合物科学课程，提供实验室经验，并为本科生提供聚合物领域的新课程和更多的研究经验。化学系的本科大四学生将被要求在下一学年做研究，学生们将从事有意义的研究项目。这一奖项将在一定程度上支持本科生的研究计划。通过将聚合物示范纳入当前的K-12推广计划和发展聚合物的继续教育课程，将完成对K-12和聚合物领域专业人员的推广。这项研究有望提高对聚合物的支化结构和物理性能之间关系的理解，从而能够设计和生产新的材料。这将对社会产生积极的影响，改进现有的材料，生产新的材料，这些材料可以在目前的应用中起诉，也可以在未来开发的应用中使用。这笔助学金支持的学生将接受教育，使他们能够继续开发新材料和新应用，从而进一步造福社会，提高生活水平。

9985221KnaussThis award will support research on the continued development of a technique for the formation of dendritically branched polymers and the characterization of the resulting products. The technique combines living polymerization methods with a convergent synthesis approach and can be designed to produce dendritic polystyrenes, polydienes, poly(alkyl methacrylate)s, and others with relatively narrow molecular weight distributions. The synthesis is done by first initiating and polymerizing a low molecular weight chain through living methods; the living end is then reacted with a compound having both a polymerizable group and a moiety capable of quantitatively coupling with the growing chain end. The slow addition of this reactant either alone or with a comonomomer results in a convergence of chains and ultimately in a dendritic polymer with a living chain end at the core. This chain end can then be functionalized with a variety of groups or can be used to initiate an added comonomer. The synthetic method allows for a large number of architectural variations resulting in many different dendritically branched polymers. Main aspects to be studied include the progression of the reaction, the synthesis of different dendritic polymer backbones, the molecular weight between branch points, the morphology of architectural copolymer, and the solution, rheological, and other physical properties of these materials and their blends with linear polymers. Characterization of these novel materials will improve the understanding of the relationship between branching structure and physical properties and direct comparison with the linear version of the polymer can be accomplished. Because this method can be used to readily produce considerable quantities of accomplished. Because this method can be used to readily produce considerable quantities of material, the utility of such dendrititc polymers can be determined. The educational aspects of the project will result in an improved polymer science curriculum, with laboratory experience and the availability of new classes in the polymer area and more research experience for undergraduates. Undergraduate seniors in the chemistry department will be required to do research in the coming academic year and students will work on meaningful research projects. This award will in part support the undergraduate research program. Outreach to K-12 and to professionals working in the field of polymers will be accomplished by incorporation of polymer demonstrations into the current K-12 outreach program and through the development of continuing education classes in polymers.The research is expected to improve the understanding of the relationship between branching structure and physical properties for polymers such that new materials can be designed and produced. This will impact society in a positive manner by improving current materials and producing new ones that can be sued in current application and in applications that will be developed for the future. The students supported by this grant will be educated to be capable of continuing the development of new materials and new applications that will further benefit society and improve the standard of living.