New directions in the green polymer laboratory: Biodegradable functional polymers

我的研究项目利用催化的力量，通过进行基础研究和应用研究来应对环境挑战。鉴于可生物降解聚酯(如聚乳酸)作为生物材料在一系列应用中的广泛但有限的使用，迫切需要控制和优化这些聚合物的性能和功能，以实现改善性能特性和功能化的目标。目前，聚烯烃的产生和使用使可生物降解替代品相形见绌，部分原因是可用于聚乳酸等生物聚合物的性能范围有限。与聚烯烃的情况一样，开发更好的生物聚合物的关键是更好的催化剂。我们的主要目标之一是开发下一代高性能可生物降解聚合物：寿命更长、坚固耐用，但最终可降解。我们以前已经证明，铟是环酯开环聚合形成可生物降解聚合物的特权金属。为了增强这些材料，我们建议开发新一代催化剂，我们将重点关注两个主要家族。首先，我们探索了阳离子铟配合物的合成和反应活性，并将其用作两个反应的催化剂：1)内酯和环氧化物偶联形成一类特殊的膨胀单体，我们可以进一步聚合形成交联型功能化聚酯；2)官能化环氧化物开环聚合形成聚醚。这些聚合物有可能在从药物输送到燃料电池膜技术等领域用作响应性聚合物。在第二个项目中，我们开发了支持双金属催化剂的配体平台，我们的目标是将其用于内酯和烯烃的共聚，以生成更坚固的可生物降解材料，用于高级应用。这项研究旨在促进催化剂开发和聚合物合成与表征领域的重大发展，以及在生物聚合物、石化、材料科学和药物输送等不同领域的应用。此外，这一与工业相关的研究项目预计将为受过化学合成和聚合物科学培训的高素质、创造性的科学家提供一个特殊的跨学科培训环境，这些科学家将在加拿大生物科学和精细化工领域大显身手。

My research program uses the power of catalysis to address environmental challenges by performing both fundamental and applied studies. Given the expanding, but limited, use of biodegradable polyesters such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as biomaterials in a range of applications, there is a critical need to control and optimize the properties and functionality of these polymers in order to achieve the goals of improved performance characteristics and functionalization. Polyolefin generation and use currently dwarfs that of biodegradable alternative due, in part, to the limited range of properties available for biopolymers such as PLA. As was the case for polyolefins, the key to developing a better biopolymer is a better catalyst. One of our key objectives is to develop the next generation of high performance biodegradable polymer: longer lived, robust, yet ultimately degradable. We have shown previously that indium is a privileged metal for the ring opening polymerization of cyclic esters to form biodegradable polymers. To enhance these materials, we propose to develop a new generation of catalysts and we will focus on two major families. Firstly, we explore the synthesis and reactivity of cationic indium complexes and utilize them as catalysts for two reactions: 1) coupling of lactones and epoxides to form a special class of expanding monomers which we can further polymerize to form cross-linked functionalized polyesters and 2) ring opening polymerization of functionalized epoxides to form polyethers. These polymers have the potential to be used as responsive polymers in areas ranging from drug delivery to membrane technology in fuel cells. In the second project, we develop ligand platforms that support bimetallic catalysts which we aim to use for the copolymerization of lactones and olefins, in order to generate more robust biodegradable materials for advanced applications. This research aims to engender significant developments in the areas of catalyst development and polymer synthesis and characterization, applications in diversified areas such as biopolymers, petrochemicals, material science, and drug delivery. In addition, this industrially relevant research program is expected to provide an exceptional interdisciplinary training environment for highly qualified, creative scientists with training in chemical synthesis and polymer science who will be eminently employable in Canadian bioscience and fine chemicals sectors.