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Sebastien Perrier is the director of the Key Centre for Polymer Colloids in the University of Sydney. His research team specialises in the synthesis and characterisation of macromolecules with highly controlled and pre-determinable structures using controlled/living free radical polymerisation to design new materials, or improve existing ones. Their research is at the interface between the understanding of the chemistry behind the polymerisation techniques and the production of functional materials for targeted applications. Such applications can be in the field of pharmacy (e.g. drug delivery), biology (e.g. antimicrobial materials, synthetic proteins), nanotechnology (e.g. components for optoelectronic applications), physics (e.g. rheology modifiers) or chemistry (polymerisation catalysts, processes, etc.). Much of their research is carried out in close collaboration with industrial and academic partners.

Please follow the link for further information on Sebastien’s research group and his recent paper in Polymer Chemistry.

What was your inspiration in becoming a chemist?
I have always been interested in science. Chemistry does not only allow us to understand how nature builds the world around us, but it also permits us to follow its path! I find polymer chemistry an especially exciting subject, as it is a multidisciplinary field.

What was the motivation behind the research in your recent Polymer Chemistry paper?
Hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate is a very versatile monomer, and its polymers have found applications in many different fields, from materials to medical science. The polymer has been know for many years, but I feel its real potential is only being discovered now, mainly thanks to the rise of new techniques of living radical polymerisation.

Why did you choose Polymer Chemistry to publish your work?
Polymer Chemistry is an exciting new journal, which covers the latest trend in polymer synthesis, and has fast publication times.

At which upcoming conferences may our readers meet you?
I will be at the next ACS National Meeting in Anaheim, then the 43rd IUPAC World Chemistry Congress in Puerto Rico, the ACS National Meeting in Denver and the 5th Pacific Symposium on Radical Chemistry and the Annual Meeting of the Society of Polymer Science in Japan – busy year!

But really, people should come to the Australasian Polymer Symposium we will organise in Hobart, Tasmania, in February 2012 (www.33APS.org.au). A good opportunity to see great polymer science in a fantastic surrounding!

How do you spend your spare time?
What spare time?! I love reading.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?
Historian – I like to know where we come from, and understand how we got to where we are.

Helmut Schlaad received his chemistry diploma from the University of Mainz, Germany, in 1993. He continued his studies in Mainz and completed his Ph.D. in 1997 on anionic polymerization of (meth)acrylates under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Axel H. E. Müller. In 1998, he went to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, USA, to work with Prof. Dr. Rudolf Faust in the field of cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers. In 1999, he joined the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, shortly before the institute moved from Teltow to its new location in Golm, Germany, to lead the project “Amphiphilic Block Copolymers” (workedfor habilitation, finished in 2004) in the group of Prof. Dr. Dr. Markus Antonietti. His research is devoted to (i) the development of new controlled polymerization techniques, modular synthetic pathways, and “thio-click” chemistry (ii) advanced characterization of functional polymers, and (iii) study of complex structure formation of bioinspired (co-)polymers through specific non-covalent interactions. Please follow the link for further information on Helmut’s research group and his recent publication in Polymer Chemistry. 

What was your inspiration in becoming a chemist?
I think the chemistry teachers during school time inspired and motivated me most to later study chemistry at university. My second inspiration, and also confirmation that becoming a polymer chemist was absolutely the right choice, was my PhD supervisor Axel H. E. Müller.

What was the motivation behind the research in your recent Polymer Chemistry paper? (DOI: 10.1039/c1py00002k)
The initial motivation was to make some sophisticated graft copolymers by thiol-yne photo click chemistry – however this did not work out as planned: no clicking but cross-linking! So we changed the direction a bit and used the same chemistry to make functional star polymers by in situ functionalization/cross-linking of block copolymer micelles. And this worked out really nicely… 

Why did you choose Polymer Chemistry to publish your work?
I am convinced that Polymer Chemistry will be among the top journals for original papers in polymer science. It has a broad readership and promises fast review process and publication – which I can now confirm from my own experience.

In which upcoming conferences may our readers meet you?
I will attend the Hybrid Materials 2011 Conference in Strasbourg, France (March), the Ionic Polymerization (IP’11) in Akron, Ohio (July), and the Symposium on Polymeric Materials in Bayreuth, Germany (September).

How do you spend your spare time?
Spare time…? Well, there are the kids (6 and 8 years old), lots of house and garden work, music, and no sports.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?
Drummer in a Rock band!!!

Eva Malmström Jonsson has been focusing on the synthesis of complex macromolecular architectures, including dendrimers and hyperbranched macromolecules, and their characterization and evaluation in specific applications. More recently, she has explored surface initiated polymerizations (controlled radical polymerization and ring-opening polymerizations) as viable routes for surface modification of biofibre surfaces at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Sweden.

You can follow the link for further information on her research group and also scroll down to read our short conversation on her recent report in Polymer Chemistry.

What was your inspiration in becoming a chemist?

I had a really great chemistry teacher during high school. She really conveyed a lot of interesting and fascinating stuff about chemistry. She inspired several of the students in my grade to pursue higher education focusing on chemistry!

What was the motivation behind the research in your recent Polymer Chemistry paper where you discussed the selective cleavage of polymer grafts from solid surfaces?

The forest industry is very important in Sweden and there is a strive to develop high-quality end products based on wood polymers. Since quite a number of years we have been interested in conducting surface modification of biofibre surfaces aiming for various functions. It has been really frustrating not to be able to assess the properties of the grafted polymer, being forced to assume that it has similar properties as a polymer formed in parallel from a sacrificial initiator. By this novel initiator we can selectively cleave off the polymer grafts, isolate the polymer and subsequently characterize it, as well as determine the number of chains on the surface. It is a little step towards a deeper understanding on surface-initiated ATRP from biofibre surfaces.

Why did you choose Polymer Chemistry to publish your work?

I find Polymer Chemistry to be a very good journal, with a broad readership, high ambitions regarding contributions and, very importantly, a fast review process and publication.

In which upcoming conferences may our readers meet you?

I will attend the International Dendrimer Symposium 7 in Washington, USA.

How do you spend your spare time?

Presently, I do not have a lot of spare time but when I do, I try to spend time with my family, tend to my garden (not during this time of the year though), or horse-back riding.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

I think I would have wanted to become an author, or maybe a chef…

Jean François Lutz has been focusing on the preparation of sequence controlled polymers using controlled living polymerization and click reaction techniques. He has recently moved to Strasbourg and his research group “Precision Macromolecular Chemistry” will explore the interfaces between conventional synthetic polymer chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry.

Read further information on his research group and also scroll down to read our short conversation on his recent published in Polymer Chemistry.  

What was your inspiration in becoming a chemist?

My family. I had the chance to grow up in an intellectually-rich environment. My father was the president of the French Biophysical Society and my mother was in the scientific headquarters of Rhodia, which is one of the largest French chemical companies. As a child, I have been following my parents in conferences worldwide. So, I really grew up in it!

What was the motivation behind the research in your recent Polymer Chemistry paper?

My group was always very influenced by the chemistry of K. Barry Sharpless at Scripps. Thus, we got interested quite early in copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions (CuAAC), which are now very popular in polymer science. Lately, we also got interested in nitrile oxide-alkyne cycloadditions (NOAC). Sharpless and Fokin demonstrated that these reactions are pretty straightforward. They are certainly not as versatile as CuAAC but they present some interesting advantages. Thus, it was tempting to import these reactions in the field of polymer science. In our paper, this chemistry was studied in collaboration with Frances Heaney who is a talented Irish organic chemist.

Why did you choose Polymer Chemistry to publish your work?

I think that Polymer Chemistry is on the right track to become the number one journal for original research papers in the field of polymer science. I am actually very proud to be an Advisory Board member of Polymer Chemistry.

Could you please tell us about your new Institute in Strasbourg and your research plans?

Working in Strasbourg was always a dream for me. This is definitely the strongest place for Chemistry in France. There is so many world-leading scientists in this city: Jean-Marie Lehn, Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Thomas Ebbesen, Jean-Paul Behr, Pierre Braunstein, Gero Decher and many others. This is indeed a great privilege to interact with such influential scientists. This will certainly have an impact on my future research.

In which upcoming conferences may our readers meet you?

I will be giving a series of lectures in Japan in April. Afterwards, I’ll be attending conferences in Brazil (FBPol 2011), USA (Fall ACS national meeting), Germany (Smart Polymer Systems Conference 2011) and Turkey (APME 2011).

How do you spend your spare times?

Playing LEGO with my son.  

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

If I would not be a scientist, I would probably own an antique book-shop or be a museum curator. I cannot imagine to live without having knowledge around me.