Polymer Chemistry Blog

Maciek received his MEng degree in Polymer Chemistry and Technology from Cracow University of Technology in 2009, followed by a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Jagiellonian University and Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, Poland in 2014. During his Ph.D. he spent six months as a Fulbright Scholar at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA working with Kris Matyjaszewski and Tomek Kowalewski, where he returned as a postdoc in 2014. From 2016 to 2018 he was a Research Fellow in the Materials Science and Technology of Polymers department at the University of Twente in Enschede, the Netherlands. Next, he spent three months at the University of Bristol in the UK before starting his current position as a Lecturer at the University of Bath in 2019. His research interests involve polymer gels/networks, degradable and reversible thermosets, controlled radical polymerisation, polymer topology, and polymer-derived carbon materials.

Read Maciek’s Emerging Investigator article, Strands vs. crosslinks: topology-dependent degradation and regelation of polyacrylate networks synthesised by RAFT polymerisation, DOI D3PY01008B.

Check out of interview with Maciek below:

How do you feel about Polymer Chemistry as a place to publish research on this topic?

I think it’s perfect. Polymer Chemistry is a go-to journal for any quality polymer research. This work felt particularly suitable as some of the Editors are pioneers in the field which guaranteed a thorough reviewing process.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

When I started my independent research, our group focused mostly on crosslinked polymer systems, i.e., gels and networks which I didn’t have much previous experience with. I am still fascinated by the very fundamental aspects of these materials such as the mechanism of crosslinking in various polymerisation techniques or network topology.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

I think for degradable/recyclable polymers it is finding a compromise between degradability and stability necessary for successful translation of these materials into applications. In case of polymer networks more generally, there is still a lot we don’t know about their complex internal structure and how exactly it affects their physical properties.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Embrace teaching! It can be a great source of inspiration as well as a refreshing break from your research.

Zhanhua Wang received his doctorate in polymer chemistry and physics from Jilin University under the supervision of Professor Bai Yang in 2011. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow with Professor Marek Urban at the University of Southern Mississippi and Clemson University. He moved to Wageningen University as a postdoctoral researcher and worked with Professor Han Zuilhof until 2016. He is a professor at the Polymer Research Institute of Sichuan University. His scientific interests focus on bio-inspired anti-fouling coatings, covalent adaptive networks, self-healing and 3D printing of polymer materials.

Read Zhanhua’s Emerging Investigator article, Covalent adaptive networks with repairable, reprocessable, reconfigurable, recyclable, and re-adhesive (5R) performance via dynamic isocyanate chemistry, DOI D3PY00944K.

Check out our interview with Zhanhua below:

How do you feel about Polymer Chemistry as a place to publish research on this topic?

In my opinion, the topic about developing polymer materials with repairable, reprocessable, reconfigurable, recyclable, and re-adhesive (5R) performance via dynamic isocyanate chemistry quite fits the scope of the journal Polymer Chemistry since the dissociation mechanism on the isocyanate chemistry are discussed in detail in this review article.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

What I am most excited about my work is my current study can make a contribution to develop sustainable polymer materials. The most challenging aspect about my current research is how to realize the industrialization of 5R polymer materials.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

The most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of my research is how to balance the 5R performance and the service stability and mechanical performance.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

In my opinion, it would be very difficult to engage in a new field, but after persisting for a period of time, you can continuously learn and grow in this process, and will definitely become an expert in this field.

Junpeng Wang received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2010 and his Ph.D. in Chemistry (advisor: Prof. Stephen Craig) from Duke University in 2015. He then worked with Prof. Luping Yu at the University of Chicago and Prof. Jeremiah Johnson at Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Postdoc before joining the University of Akron as an Assistant Professor of Polymer Science in 2019. Currently, his research is focused on how molecular information like molecular structures and intermolecular and intramolecular interactions impact macroscopic material properties. In particular, Junpeng brought new insights into the design of sustainable polymers by applying physical organic chemistry and polymer mechanochemistry approaches.

Read Junpeng’s Emerging Investigator article, Bulk depolymerization of graft polymers based on trans-cyclobutane-fused cyclooctene, DOI D3PY00812F. 

Check out our interview with Junpeng below:

How do you feel about Polymer Chemistry as a place to publish research on this topic?

Polymer Chemistry is a journal that publishes solid work on innovative polymer chemistry research, and I am very pleased that our discovery on the bulk depolymerization of graft polymers can be published in Polymer Chemistry.  

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

I am actively working on solutions for sustainable polymers, and I am most excited that by applying principles in physical organic chemistry, we can bring new insights into the design of sustainable polymers. Sustainable polymers need to be competitive in properties and cost in order to replace current polymers. While my training allows me to study structure-property relationships to optimize material properties, I find it challenging to also take into account the cost and scalability. This is a grand challenge for the entire field of sustainable polymers, and I enjoy tackling the challenges.  

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

How can we design polymers that show material properties comparable to current ones while having the potential for industrial production?

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

There are many tasks for an us early career scientist, and some of them might not be so enjoyable. We need to make sure that we spend time on the things you are most excited about everyday so that we stay motivated. 

Keep up with Junpeng’s research by checking out his website or following him on X @JPChem1.