The central theme of our research program derives from a desire to better understand the thermodynamics and dynamics of polymers and polymer mixtures. Three broad areas of investigation have been developed for addressing these issues: polymer synthesis, chemical modification, and molecular characterization; structural analysis by neutron, X-ray, and light scattering, and electron microscopy; dynamical characterization through rheological and processing measurements and mechanical property evaluation. These efforts address issues in each field individually, as well as contributing to our central goals.
Anionic and living free-radical polymerization represent the primary synthetic tools with which we control polymer molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, microstructure, and chain architecture. Subsequent modifications such as catalytic hydrogenation provide for the preparation of model functionalized polymers. Molecular characterization techniques include NMR, size exclusion chromatography, and light scattering.