How to Apply
Interested in participating in this research project? Contact the professor or graduate student listed below.
Professor
Dr. Junpeng Wang (Polymer Science) | jwang6@uakron.edu
Graduate Student
Tze-Gang Hsu | th164@zips.uakron.edu
Project Description
Synthetic degradable polymers are of pivotal importance for recycling and sustainability. While the degradability allows polymers to be recycled, it can also cause stability issue, which impairs the storage and functioning of materials. This research project describes a new class of polymer, in which the cleavable group that enables degradability is locked in a cyclic molecule with a mechanophore and the polymer is stable under storage and functioning conditions; when the polymer needs to be degraded, the mechanophore can be activated under mechanical force to enable the degradability to be unlocked. This new class of polymer addresses the stability of degradable polymers and allows degradability to be unlocked on demand and can be used in many current and next-generation applications.
Project Date
Fall 2019
Search Terms
Advanced Materials, Sustainability, For Credit, Non-Credit, Funded, Non-Funded, STEM