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

通过这一奖项，美国国家科学基金会化学部门的化学催化计划支持波士顿学院化学系的Jeffery A.Byers博士的研究，开发新的催化剂，这种催化剂可以在接触到氧化剂、还原剂或电解等外部刺激时改变产生的聚合物类型。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尖端材料，包括可降解塑料。不同的本科生和研究生正在接受催化剂开发和聚合物合成方面的培训。针对当地高中生的暑期研究项目“纸到塑料”正在继续、发展和扩大，以激发人们对STEM领域的兴趣，并交流开发具有有用性能的可持续材料所涉及的需求和挑战。氧化还原可切换聚合催化剂正在开发中，以控制嵌段共聚过程和聚合物分子量分布。拜尔斯博士和他的研究小组发现了一种铁-催化剂体系，在接触氧化还原试剂时，单体的选择性会发生变化，目前正在调整，以扩大可以进行氧化还原可切换聚合反应的单体类型。正在研究用电流激活这一催化体系，以消除对化学氧化还原试剂的需求，并进一步扩大底物范围，包括需要在压力下使用的试剂。人们还在研究通过催化剂氧化还原切换来控制分子量分布的电解法，这为控制聚合物特性提供了更多的机会。这些活动的首要目标是能够合成具有理想材料性能的复杂聚合物材料。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.