Center for the Chemistry of Molecularly Optimized Networks

The work performed at Northwestern will include the synthesis and characterization of polymers and networks related to Tasks 1 and 2 of the MONET proposal. Specifically, a postdoctoral researcher in the Kalow lab will synthesize monomers and polymers with noncovalent and stereoelectronic interactions that favor folded conformations, such as fluoroamine-substituted linear polyethylene and oxo/aza-analogues of poly(caprolactam). The structures of these polymers and their constituent monomers will be characterized at Northwestern, including NMR, SEC, IR, MALDI, TGA, and DSC. Bulk characterization such as rheology will also be performed at Northwestern. A graduate student in the Kalow lab will synthesize photoswitches and networks to create materials that can be controlled by light, and perform molecular and bulk characterization. Specifically, s/he will synthesize the small molecules, covalently attach these molecules to branched polymers, and characterize these materials by NMR, SEC, IR, MALDI, TGA, and DSC. Kinetic studies of small-molecule model systems will be performed at Northwestern. The mechanical properties of the resulting networks will be studied at Northwestern using photorheology.