Making New Materials out of Stubborn Monomers: Approaches to Precise, Chemically Recyclable, and Stimuli-Responsive Polymers

Professor Justin Kennemur from Florida State University will present a seminar.

Making New Materials out of Stubborn Monomers: Approaches to Precise, Chemically Recyclable, and Stimuli-Responsive Polymers.

Abstract:
A launch-point for potentially transformative materials is the synthetic design of polymer microstructures capable of offering precise and unique branch periodicities outside of those provided by traditional monomers and methods. The concept of using low ring strain cycloolefin monomers, such as cyclopentenes, for enthalpy-driven ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) is contradictory since the release of ring-strain is the driving force for success. Our research has leveraged thermodynamic principles to gain near living-like control and high conversion from these systems. We have now carried this success forward to instill more precise architectural complexities such as highly isotactic and regioregular systems, precision polyelectrolytes, and bottlebrush polymers with precise five-carbon branch periodicities. We have carried some of these strategies over to biomass-based pinene derivates as well. Our findings on the efficacy of targeted materials and their properties will be discussed.

Bio:
Justin G. Kennemur graduated from Radford University, VA (B.S. Chemistry, 2002) then worked in industry for three years at Polymer Solutions Incorporated in Blacksburg, VA as an Analytical Polymer Chemist. He received a Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry at North Carolina State University in 2010 under the advisement of Professor Bruce M. Novak. After a post-doctoral appointment at the University of Minnesota co-advised by Professors Marc A. Hillmyer and Frank S. Bates, he began his independent career in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida State University in August of 2014. He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2020. As a principal investigator, JGK has received an ACS-PRF Doctoral New Investigator Award (2015), the NSF CAREER Award (2018) and was awarded as a 2018 ACS PMSE Young Investigator. He is also particularly proud of receiving the 2017-2018 Florida State University Undergraduate Teaching Award, a student driven award, for his efforts in organic chemistry instruction.

Host: Dr. Paul Rupar

Selected References:
1. Neary, W. J.; Kennemur J. G. Polypentenamer Renaissance: Challenge and Opportunities. ACS Macro Lett, 2019, 8, 46-56. http://dx.doi.org./10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00885
2. Guillory, G. A.; Marxsen, S. F.; Alamo, R. G.; Kennemur, J. G. Precise Isotactic or Atactic Pendant Alcohols on a Polyethylene Backbone at Every Fifth Carbon: Synthesis, Crystallization, and Thermal Properties. Macromolecules, 2022, 55, 6841–6851, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01090
3. Neary, W. J.; Isais, T. A.; Kennemur, J. G. Depolymerization of Bottlebrush Polypentenamers and their Macromolecular Metamorphosis. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 14220–14229. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.9b05560
4. Neary, W. J.; Fultz, B. A.; Kennemur, J. G. Well-Defined and Precision-Grafted Bottlebrush Polypentenamers from Variable Temperature ROMP and ATRP. ACS Macro Lett, 2018, 7, 1080-1086. http://dx.doi.org./10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00576
5. Neary, W. J.; Kennemur, J. G. Variable Temperature ROMP: Leveraging Low Ring Strain Thermodynamics to Achieve Well-Defined Polypentenamers. Macromolecules 2017, 50, 4935-4941. http://dx.doi.org./10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01148