Organic Seminar - Adrian Figg

The Organic Seminar Series presents: Adrian Figg 

Virginia Tech

Hosts: Cassandra Callmann and Zak Page

Title: Approaching Acrylic Copolymer Structures Differently

Location: WEL 2.122

Refreshments served at 3:15pm

Controlled polymerization techniques (e.g., reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization) provide access to defined copolymer structures where block sequence, monomer composition, and architecture can be readily tuned. Herein, syntheses approaches will be introduced that take advantage of photoinduced electron/energy transfer (PET) catalysis to control mechanisms of radical introduction. For example, we developed synthetic methods to yield polymers containing more precise control over monomer placement and sequence. Additionally, new ways of interfacing acrylic copolymers with proteins to modulation functions show that copolymer composition is critical to achieve protein recognition. Overall, new synthetic design considerations for acrylic copolymers using RAFT polymerization will be discussed.