Polymer Chemistry Blog

Thomas Junkers graduated with a PhD in physical chemistry in 2006 from Göttingen University, where he had worked under the guidance of Prof. Michael Buback on Pulsed Laser Polymerization methods for the elucidation of chain-length effects in macroradical termination. Subsequently, he joined the Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, continuing to work on radical polymerization kinetics, but also starting to work on polymer synthesis projects. In the midlle of 2008, he followed Prof. Christopher Barner-Kowollik to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , working as a senior researcher until he was appointed Professor at Hasselt University early 2010. At UHasselt, he started the Polymer Reaction Design Group within the department of organic and (bio)polymer chemistry of the institute for materials research (www.imo.uhasselt.be). Recently, he received a prestigeous Odysseus grant from the Funds for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO) to support his work on the controlled synthesis of organic conducting materials. Generally, his research focuses on the design of facile polymer synthesis pathways, control methodologies for unconventional radical polymerization systems, efficient polymer conjugation reactions, state-of-the art polymer characterization as well as kinetic modelling.

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

What was your inspiration in becoming a chemist?

I grew up in Leverkusen (Germany), hence since early childhood I was literally surrounded by chemistry. While such chemical industry setting may have the adverse effect on many people, it only got me deeper into the sciences. Wanting to understand what happens (and why) on a molecular level was my driving force ever since I learned what atoms and molecules are. It is this (sometimes childish) fascination I got back then that until today gives me the motivation to carry on.

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

When we developed the Enhanced Spin Capturing Polymerization (ESCP) method and there with the Nitrone-Mediated Radical Coupling (NMRC) technique, we immediately started to extend its applicability by combining it with as many different methods as possible. When I moved to Belgium one of my first contacts became the labs in Liege, where the cobalt chemistry was developed that we have now put together with the nitrone’s spin capturing activity. The combination of both methods proved to be very success and fruitful but moreover, I enjoyed a very nice collaboration between several labs.

Why did you choose Polymer Chemistry to publish your work?

As so many others have already noted, Polymer Chemistry has rapidly become a very respected journal and I much appreciate the selection of papers and topics that are covered. I must say the proportion of articles that get my deeper interest in Polymer Chemistry is significantly larger than with many other journals in the field.

In which upcoming conferences may our readers meet you?

You will meet me in October in Hasselt at the ‘Photovoltaics at the nanoscale’ conference. The next chance will then be at the Australasian Polymer Symposium in Hobart in February.

How do you spend your spare times?

Not enough with sports. But luckily, my little son is keeping me busy – usually a much appreciated change from the academic world. Also, meeting friends and family or just listening to good music is a good way to relax. Otherwise I enjoy travelling, hiking and scuba diving.

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

When I went to university, information technology was my second choice. Today I think I would do something very different and study psychology or maybe history and politics. More realistically, however, (if I really had to choose something new) I would probably open up a sushi restaurant.

Pr. Mathias Destarac was born in Nogent sur Marne, France, in 1970. He undertook his undergraduate studies in France at the University of Montpellier and obtained his “Diplome d’Ingenieur” in 1993 in the field of materials science. He received his PhD in 1997 from the University of Montpellier for his studies on controlled radical polymerization. He then got a postdoctoral fellow position in Pr. Matyjaszewski’s group at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittbursgh, USA, where he focused his research work on atom transfer radical polymerization. He moved to Rhodia France in late 1998 to undertake the challenge of industrial research. His Rhodia research has mainly focussed on developing the RAFT/MADIX polymerization. Over the course of his career at Rhodia, he occupied successive positions as Senior Research Fellow, Project Manager and Scientific Expert. He originated and supervised a great deal of academic collaborations on various aspects of polymerization chemistry.

He left industry for academia in 2007 when he was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the University Paul Sabatier of Toulouse, France. He started his own research group (Free-Radical Polymerization: Macromolecular Engineering and Architectures) in the Fundamental and Heterochemistry Laboratory. His research interests lie in various fields related to controlled radical polymerization (mostly RAFT) including the design of novel controlling agents, polymerization kinetics, double hydrophilic and amphiphilic controlled architectures, and polymer-inorganic nanohybrids.

He published sixty scientific articles, contributed three book chapters and was co-inventor for more than sixty patents.

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

 What was your inspiration in becoming a chemist?

I was studying sciences and had the luck to meet a very inspirational chemistry teacher who made me want to find out more. Polymers came later, once again after I met an excellent teacher.

What was the motivation behind the research in your recent Polymer Chemistry paper? (DOI: 10.1039/C1PY00209K)

During my years working in industry, one of my main research topics of interest was the synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers and their use in various fields of applications as emulsion stabilisers. When I moved to academia, I met Dr. Jean-Daniel Marty who is an expert in the physicochemical behavior of polymers in unusual media. We thought that combining our two fields of expertise would lead to interesting science such as our project described in this paper on the solubility behavior of new RAFT/MADIX amphiphilic block copolymers in supercritical carbon dioxide.

Why did you choose Polymer Chemistry to publish your work?

I was excited that the Royal Society of Chemistry was setting up a journal in my field. After I read the first couple of issues, I thought it would  quickly become a high impact journal.

In which upcoming conferences may our readers meet you?

2011 was the international year of chemistry, so I attended many interesting conferences in my field. Next year will be quieter and so far, I plan to attend Warwick 2012, UK, next July. I also wish to mention an event special to my heart: next June (5-7) in Toulouse, I co-organize the first French conference on synthesis, properties and applications of amphiphilic copolymers (Copamphi 2012). More details about the event will come out soon !

How do you spend your spare times?

I work hard, but I try to spend as much time as possible with my family and friends. My ideal day would be a morning playing with my kids followed by a long lunch with good food and good company with an indie rock soundtrack, afterwards a siesta and then another long dinner with everyone I love around me.

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

I think I would like to be a guitar player but I never had the time to learn.

Ian Manners was born in London and, after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Bristol, he conducted postdoctoral work in Germany and then in the USA. He joined the University of Toronto, Canada as an Assistant Professor in 1990 and was promoted to Full Professor in 1995 and to a Canada Research Chair in 2001. In 2006 he returned to his Alma Mater to take up a Chair in Inorganic, Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry.  His research interests focus on the development of new synthetic approaches involving catalysis and self-assembly and their applications in molecular chemistry, polymer and materials science, and nanoscience. His work is documented in over 540 career publications and he has given over 360 invited lectures worldwide.

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

What was your inspiration in becoming a chemist?

My father shared with me his great enthusiasm for science. I remember many visits to the Science Museum in South Kensington when I was very young. He was an organic chemist and had many old text books that I would read. As it turned out, I found inorganic chemistry and physics far more interesting at that time, although now my current interests are now very broad and I also find organic materials fascinating.

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

Usually polymers and metals are regarded as mutually exclusive. In the project that led to this paper we are interested in the preparation of polymers containing high concentrations of metal centres that can be used to fabricate well-defined metallic nanostructures directly by thermal or photochemical treatment.

Why did you choose Polymer Chemistry to publish your work?

It is an impressive, new, and ambitious journal and seemed a perfect venue for the work.

In which upcoming conferences may our readers meet you?

I have been to numerous conferences this year and not many are left – the next will the the joint Japan/Korea conference on Advanced Soft Nanomaterials in Sapporo, Japan (31 October – 1 November).

How do you spend your spare times?

I spend time with my wife, Deborah – we enjoy traveling, good restaurants and hiking, for example – and also with my daughter and her partner in Bristol. I also enjoy spending time in Canada in visits to my son, wife, and our first grandson, Rhys, who was born in July.

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

A non-fiction writer or composer.

Julien Poly received chemistry diplomas from “Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan” and “Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris”. He obtained his PhD in polymer chemistry in 2008 from the University of Bordeaux, where he studied the synthesis of nanogels by controlled radical crosslinking copolymerization under the supervision of Prof. Daniel Taton. In 2009, he was appointed as assistant professor at the University of Haute-Alsace. He joined the CNRS institute IS2M, where he is now developing macromolecular synthesis for surface engineering.

Please follow the link to get more information on Julien’s research institute and his recent paper in Polymer Chemistry.

What was your inspiration in becoming a chemist?

I was first of all interested in sciences in general, but like many others, I was mainly attracted to chemistry thanks to excellent teachers and to fascinating experiments. The learning then of some of the elegant theories governing chemistry definitely convinced me to become a chemist.

What was the motivation behind the research in your recent Polymer Chemistry paper? (DOI: 10.1039/c1py00231g)

My research activities concern principally the synthesis of branched or crosslinked polymers by controlled radical polymerizations. I wanted to develop a new strategy for the synthesis of well-defined branched poly(vinyl acetate)s, which are commonly used polymers, by combining the concept of SCVP with a xanthate-mediated RAFT mechanism. I appealed to the skills of Dr. Nicolas Blanchard in organic chemistry for the preliminary synthesis of the original polymerizable xanthate, which was a little bit tricky.

Why did you choose Polymer Chemistry to publish your work?

Polymer Chemistry has become one of the top journals in Polymer Science, with a particular focus on synthetic aspects. This was therefore an ideal place to publish this work. Additionally, I appreciated the publication process, which was especially efficient.

In which upcoming conferences may our readers meet you?

I will attend the Aquitaine Polymer Conference in Arcachon, France in October. I will be then at the Pacific Polymer Conference in Jeju, South Korea in November, where I will present the results from this paper.

How do you spend your spare times?

I often do do-it-yourself or restore secondhand goods. More usually, I enjoy reading, cooking, swimming and travelling.

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

I might have been a cabinetmaker or an antique dealer. Being a gastronomic critic would have been another pleasant profession too!

Didier Bourissou, born in Nice (1972) studied chemistry at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris. He obtained his Ph D. degree in 1998 under the supervision of G. Bertrand at the Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, University of Toulouse (Dina Surdin Award from the French Chemical Society). He then worked as a research associate with F. Mathey and P. Le Floch at the Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau. He is currently CNRS Director of Research at the “Laboratoire Hétérochimie Fondamentale et Appliquée” in Toulouse (University Paul Sabatier, CNRS) and Associate Professor at the Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau. His research interests span a wide range of topics in main group, transition metal and polymer chemistry. These include the interplay between ambiphilic derivatives and metal fragments as well as small molecules; the coordination of indenyl rings featuring donor sidearms to get access to original low-hapticity complexes; the synthesis and applications of biodegradable polymers (new activated/functionalized monomers, controlled organo-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization, drug delivery systems). He was awarded the Bronze Medal of the CNRS (French National Research Council), the Clavel Lespiau Distinction (French Academy of Sciences) and the Acros Award (French Chemical Society) in recognition of this work.

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

What was your inspiration in becoming a chemist?

I’ve always been interested in sciences, especially mathematics and physical sciences, and I’ve had the chance to get passionate and stimulating teachers at school. My inspiration to become a chemist has also certainly to do with my fascination for drawing new chemical entities and transformations thereof. I always found exciting to play with atoms and bonds to try to assemble complex structures, hopefully in a controlled and efficient way.

What was the motivation behind the research in your recent Polymer Chemistry paper? (DOI: 10.1039/C1PY00210D)

Molecular chemist by training, I am always impressed by the efficiency and degree of control with which simple synthetic tools can be applied to the preparation of macromolecules. In this respect, my group has been particularly interested over the last few years in the use of simple organo-catalysts to promote controlled Ring-Opening Polymerization. In particular, we have shown that sulfonic acids are rather efficient, and our interest for understanding their precise mode of action revealed some striking features: the highest activities are not always met with the most acidic catalysts, and the acidic activation of the heterocyclic monomer is critically accompanied by some participation of the basic S=O moiety, the catalyst acting overall as a proton shuttle. In building on these studies, we became interested in phosphoric and phosphoramidic acids with the aim of further exploring the potential of Brönsted acid catalysis in ROP. In this article, we report our first results along these lines, from both experimental and computational perspectives.

Why did you choose Polymer Chemistry to publish your work?

Polymer Chemistry clearly represents an ideal tribune to disseminate our work within the community. The editing and production processes are very straightforward and efficient, and the quality of the papers is really impressive and stimulating. The number and content of peer-review journals tend to explode frenetically, and I am rather sceptical about that. But in this context, Polymer Chemistry is a pleasing exception. The new journal of the RSC strongly contributes to the development of polymer chemistry and nicely completes the series of journals of the field.

In which upcoming conferences may our readers meet you?

I invite you to attend and join us at the first French Meeting on Amphiphilic Copolymers to be held next May in Toulouse. In addition, we have a chance to meet and chat next July at Warwick 2012, a polymer conference under the auspices of the UK Polymer Group (thanks Andrew for the kind invitation, I am really looking forward to being there!).

How do you spend your spare times?

Most of my spare time is devoted to my family. We have a lot of fun skying and hiking together, as well as watching rugby games. Travelling together is also very enjoyable and we very much appreciate having good time with friends / colleagues.

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

I would probably be doctor. I’ve always been amazed and fascinated by the complexity and efficiency of the human body.

Dr. Marcus Weck is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Associate Director of the Molecular Design Institute at NYU.  Before joining NYU in 2007, he was a member of the faculty in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  He received his M.S. degree (diploma) from the University of Mainz, Germany, under the supervision of Professor Helmut Ringsdorf. Dr. Weck obtained his Ph.D. degree in organic and polymer chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1998 under the direction of Professor Robert H. Grubbs.  The same year, he joined the group of Professor George M. Whitesides at Harvard University as a German Academic Exchange Service Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Weck’s research interests are in the areas of organic and polymer chemistry as well as materials science.  Emphases include: 1) the development of novel synthetic methodologies for copolymer functionalization and their applications in materials science, 2) biological inspired materials, 3) the synthesis of complex polymers for biomedical applications, 4) polymeric organic light-emitting diodes, and 5) the use of soluble supports in catalysis. His research accomplishments have been recognized with the following awards: Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, NSF CAREER Award, Blanchard Assistant Professor Award, 3M-Nontenure Faculty Award, DuPont Young Professor Award, Sigma Xi Young Faculty Award, a CETL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, and a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award.

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

What was your inspiration in becoming a chemist?

This goes back a long time. In high school, I was only really good in chemistry and biology. Both topics came naturally and I loved them. In particular doing hand-on experiments was great and really inspiring. Therefore, I decided to study chemistry. Unfortunately, my first 2-3 years of undergrad education in Germany was anything but exciting, motivating or inspiring. Thankfully, I made the right choice and joined the Ringsdorf group for my diploma thesis. Helmut is an amazing and motivating advisor and I was hooked again. During my PhD studies at Caltech in Bob Grubbs’ group I was always sure that I would go back to Germany and work in industry. It was actually Bob who suggested to me that I should consider academics.

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

My group is fascinated by the challenge to develop polymeric supports for well-defined catalysts that allow the catalytic reaction to proceed with higher activities and potentially higher selectivities than using the original homogeneous catalyst. We are always in search for new support systems that allow for higher catalyst activities and/or selectivities. We view shell-crosslinked micelles (SCM) as unique catalyst supports since they can be varied and tuned easily and allow for easy functionalization with catalytically active moieties in the core (thereby creating a nanoreactors) and/or the periphery (allowing for easy access of substrate in the aqueous solvent). The SCMs described in the article are based on poly(norbornene)s since my group has a long history of the use of living ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) to create block copolymers for a variety of applications. In the Polymer Chemistry publication, we employ the hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) using Co-salen catalysts which was developed by Eric Jacobsen at Harvard over a decade ago as the benchmark catalytic transformation.

Why did you choose Polymer Chemistry to publish your work?

I view Polymer Chemistry as one of the premier polymer journal in the world (RSC was lacking a polymer journal for a long time). In general, I try to vary the journals I submit my research group’s work to. Often the audience is slightly different and it is important to us to disseminate our work broadly.

In which upcoming conferences may our readers meet you?

In March I will be at the Spring ACS meeting in San Diego and in January I am heading to Qatar for the14th international IUPAC Conference on polymers.

How do you spend your spare times?

Before the end of July, I would spend my spare free time listening to classical music at home or going to the opera in NYC. In July, my wife and I welcomed our first kid. At this point, my spare time is changing diapers and trying to get some sleep.

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

I would LOVE to be a music conductor. Listening to classical music allows me to relax (it also helps to write papers and proposals). Unfortunately, I do not play any instruments and would be a lousy conductor.