Center for Sustainable Polymers

可持续聚合物中心将建立一个全面的知识库，使自然和丰富的分子能够高效和经济地转化为未来的先进聚合物材料。它将结合聚合物设计、单体合成、聚合催化、结构和形态控制以及聚合物性能优化等方面的努力，为创新的可再生资源聚合物技术建立基本的科学原则。目标将是(1)结构多样化的嵌段共聚物，如热塑性弹性体、坚韧塑料和粘合剂；(2)用于结构和泡沫应用的热固性多嵌段共聚物。该中心将发展新的科学理解，促进生物可再生材料的使用，并取代从石化产品中提取的有害环境的版本。除了促进开发和实施造福社会的新创新产品外，该中心还将开展广泛的教育和公共宣传活动。一个重要组成部分将是公众宣传，目的是让公民和政策制定者了解可持续技术的社会重要性。广泛的公众传播包括在明尼苏达州博览会上制作互动展览。该中心将促进学术研究人员、工业合作伙伴、环境倡导者和设计师之间的合作。中心的研究生和博士后研究人员将加入跨学科研究团队，参加工业实习计划，并接受对他们的独立职业生涯至关重要的可持续聚合物领域的跨学科培训。将通过与其他具有相似兴趣和专长的当地组织建立伙伴关系，努力扩大代表人数不足的学生的参与范围。可持续聚合物中心是化学创新中心的一部分。

The Center for Sustainable Polymers will establish a comprehensive knowledge base to enable the efficient and economical conversion of natural and abundant molecules into tomorrow's advanced polymeric materials. It will blend efforts in polymer design, monomer synthesis, polymerization catalysis, architecture and morphology control, and polymer property optimization to establish the basic scientific tenets for innovative renewable resource polymer technologies. The targets will be (1) architecturally diverse block copolymers as thermoplastic elastomers, tough plastics, and adhesives; and (2) thermosetting multiblock copolymers for structural and foam applications. The Center will develop new scientific understanding that will advance the use of biorenewable materials and supplant environmentally deleterious versions derived from petrochemicals. In addition to fostering the development and implementation of new innovative products for the benefit of society, the Center will also engage in a wide range of educational and public outreach activities. An important component will be public outreach aimed at informing citizenry and policy makers on the societal importance of sustainable technologies. Broad public dissemination includes the development of an interactive exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair. The Center will foster collaboration among academic researchers, industrial partners, environmental advocates, and designers. Center graduate students and postdoctoral researchers will join interdisciplinary research teams, participate in an industrial internship program, and receive cross-disciplinary training in the area of sustainable polymers that will be vital for their independent careers. Efforts to broaden the participation of underrepresented students will be undertaken by building partnerships with other local organizations with similar interests and expertise.The Center for Sustainable Polymers is funded as part of the Centers for Chemical Innovation.