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Research Areas
The Center represents faculty with varied interests and
specialties. Each member below discusses their research
interests.
POLYMER-BASED INORGANIC NANOCOMPOSITES, DRUG DELIVERY, DIAGNOSTICS
"Stimuli responsive polymers, hydrogels, nanoparticle synthesis, diagnostic devices, drug delivery, and composites for medical applications."
Jennifer Andrew - Website
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POLYMERIC BIOMATERIALS, DRUG DELIVERY
"Biomaterials, surface properties of polymers, microsphere synthesis, diagnostic devices, scaffods for regenerative medicine."
Chris Batich - Website
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POLYMERIC INTERFACES
"Polymer/Biomaterials Science & Engineering, Designed Interfaces -
Adhesion/Bioadhesion; Tissue Engineering; Networks/Gels;
Composites."
Tony Brennan - Website
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ORGANIC AND SUPRAMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
"Molecular recognition, self-assembly, organic synthesis, reversible
and bio-inspired materials, non-covalent interactions."
Ron Castellano - Website
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CORAY COLINA RESEARCH AREA
"Our group strives to understand and predict structure-property relations in functional materials, such as polymeric membranes, biomolecules, and alternative ionic liquids. We use a variety of simulation techniques to gain further understanding of these systems by providing unique insight into structural aspects and phenomena."
Coray Colina - Website
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ELECTRON PARAMAGNETIC RESONANCE (EPR) SPECTROSCOPY
"The investigation of biochemical processes is closely knit to probing both structural and dynamic features of biomolecules. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectroscopy, in conjunction with site-directed spin labeling (SDSL), is a useful biophysical technique being utilized by Dr. Fanucci’s group to study the dynamics of structurally diverse biomolecules. These include membrane proteins in lipid environments, natively unstructured proteins, HIV-1 protease, and RNA riboswitches. Through incorporation of a paramagnetic nitroxide spin label, EPR experiments can elucidate information regarding backbone dynamics, conformational changes, local secondary structure, and even distance information between nitroxide probes. Important information gained from EPR studies, for example for the HIV- protease project, has elucidated shifts in occupancy of conformational sampling of the HIV-1 protease, which is important for drug-resistant related considerations. Through use of EPR, biologically significant questions about structure and dynamics can be answered to further understanding of biochemical processes and biomolecular function."
Gail Fanucci - Website
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BIOMIMETIC INORGANIC-ORGANIC COMPOSITES
"Polymeric crystal growth modifiers, Biomimetic organic-inorganic
composites, Hard tissue engineering, Role of biomacromolecules
in biomineralization, Engineered particulates."
Laurie Gower - Website
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POLYMERIZATION CHEMISTRY
"Our research group has several projects focused on polymerization chemistry, including: single-site catalyst design for the preparation of syndiotactic polypropylene and related copolymers; elastomeric polypropylene based on the isotactic-hemiisotactic, syndiotactic-hemiisotactic, or enantiomorphic site control microstructures; oxygen rich polymers from biorenewable feedstocks such as polylactic acid and polyoxymethylene; theoretical models of polymer tacticity; and the application of DFT calculations to polymerization chemistry."
Stephen Miller - Website
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POLYMERS WITH STRONGLY INTERACTIVE GROUPS
"Long Range Correlations in Polymer Melt, Anti-Casimir effect in
polymer melts, Extracting Structural information from
Force-Extension Curves."
Sergei Obukhov - Website
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NANOMEDICINE, CANCER NANOTECHNOLOGY, MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES AND TRANSPORT PHENOMENA
"My group studies the behavior and applications of suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles in applied magnetic fields. This field has seen explosive growth due to potential in biomedical applications such as magnetic resonance and magnetic particle imaging, biosensors, targeted delivery and triggered release of drugs, magnetomechanical actuation of cell response, and the ability to deliver magnetic energy at the nanoscale in the form of heat or shear. We combine expertise in synthesis and surface modification of magnetic nanoparticles; physical, chemical, and magnetic characterization; and modeling of the coupling of magnetic, hydrodynamic, and Brownian forces and torques to answer fundamental questions regarding the behavior of magnetic nanoparticle suspensions, understand their interaction with biological entities, and to develop novel biomedical applications taking advantage of their unique properties. Polymers are important to our research as they are often used as biocompatible coatings and to impart additional functionality to nanoparticles. We are also interested in the dynamics of nanoparticles in polymer solutions and melts."
Carlos Rinaldi - Website
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POLYMER RHEOLOGY AND PROCESSING
"Multicomponent flows of polymeric materials are encountered
frequently in various industrial applications. Due to the complexity
of polymer rheology, numerous issues involving such flows remain to
be understood. Our efforts in this area focus on investigating
various multicomponent flows of polymeric fluids through an
interplay between process modeling and experiment. Modeling work is
aimed at establishing theoretical bases of various fluid mechanical
behaviors observed experimentally."
Chang-Won Park - Website
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SELF-ASSEMBLED BLOCK COPOLYMERS AND NANOPARTICLES
"Research in the Savin group is largely associated with the applications of self-assembled polymers and block copolymers, with particular emphasis on solution characterization and property-structure relationships. My research projects can be broken into three broad categories: (1) Morphology transitions in polypeptide-based block copolymers with complex topologies, (2) Nanoparticle interactions and templates for novel remediation and delivery agents, and (3) Impact energy-absorbing polymer nanocomposites. Our principal analytical tools are dynamic light scattering and rheology, although we invoke most polymer solution characterization techniques. We also rely heavily on microscopy (TEM and AFM) and mechanical testing (DMA, Instron, Dynatup). All polymers are made in house, so we have standard synthetic tools including a number of shlenk lines and vacuum ovens. The PI has extensive experience in polymer characterization, in particular light scattering techniques for both solution and bulk/gel systems."
Daniel Savin - Website
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BRENT SUMERLIN RESEARCH AREA
"We are interested in the synthesis, characterization, and application of well-defined polymers with controlled molecular weights and functionality. Many of these polymers are water-soluble and designed to demonstrate stimuli-responsive behavior to enable biological applications (e.g., drug delivery, tissue engineering, enzymatic catalysis) or to allow the preparation of self-healing materials. Synthesis is generally accomplished by controlled/"living" radical polymerization, with particular emphasis in the area of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization."
Brent Sumerlin - Website
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INFRARED AND OPTICAL MEASUREMENTS
"My group studies materials by optical reflectance or transmittance
at wavelengths from the far infrared through the near ultraviolet.
Among the topics studied are high-temperature superconductors,
electroactive (conducting) polymers, low-dimensional organic
crystals, fullerenes, and a number of other systems. We have also
contributed to transport and other studies, and have worked on
techniques and applications. I am also a member of U12IR at the NSLS,
where we use synchrotron radiation to carry out pump-probe measurements in the far infrared,
in collaboration with Larry Carr, Dave Reitze, and Chris Stanton."
David Tanner - Website
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BIOPOLYMER SYNTHESIS, BIO-NANOCOMPOSITES, COVERSION OF BIOMASS TO CHEMICALS, FUELS AND MATERIALS
"Biopolymer synthesis, Biomimetic nanocomposite synthesis and self-assembling, lignin characterization and its conversion to fuels, biopolymers, and biomaterials."
Zhaohui Tong - Website
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INORGANIC MOLECULES
"Our research group is primarily interested in the design, synthesis, isolation, and characterization of novel inorganic molecules. Our efforts are concentrated towards building new complexes that either model or affect new small molecule transformations relevant to the industrial sector. We undertake detailed mechanistic studies in order to uncover subtle details of catalytic processes in hopes of building upon or challenging current models of molecular structure, periodic trends, reactivity, and bonding. In the area of catalysis, we are currently focused on creating highly active alkyne polymerization catalysts, alkyne metathesis catalysts, and catalysts that promote polyolefin decomposition via ß-alkyl elimination."
Adam Veige - Website
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POLYMER SYNTHESIS
"Acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization, monomer
structure/reactivity relationships, catalyst structure/property
relationships, synthesis of new biopolymers, copolymers, and
elastomeric thermosets, determining structure/behavior relationships
in polyolefins. The common theme that defines our research relates
to synthetic polymer chemistry and how it might be used in creating
well defined polymer structures. A large part of our work is devoted
metathesis reactions, where the research has been mechanistic in nature. We immerse ourselves and
the chemistry associated with creating new polymers, and we also
find ourselves interested in modeling well known materials, like
polyethylene, to better understand their behavior."
Ken Wagener - Website
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ELASTOMERIC BIOMATERIALS
"Drug delivery, medical devices, tissue engineering/regenerative medicine, entrepreneurship, translational research"
Antonio Webb - Website
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