Polymer design with new monomers & post-polymerization modifications

Polymeric materials are essential for modern life, but current production and disposal methods pose significant environmental harm. Most commodity polymers are constructed from a small set of petrochemical precursors that are non-renewable, are carbon-intensive to produce, yield materials that are challenging to recycle, and offer limited chemical diversity. My work focuses on designing new materials from renewable feedstocks and new methods to upcycle the materials used today. I will present recent work on the construction of new materials from lignocellulose-based furfural and carbon dioxide and the selective oxidation of polyethylene surfaces. In each, I will highlight how careful control of polymer microstructure yields new properties not met by commodity materials.

Speaker: Chris Woroch, UC Berkeley