Course Offerings: Polymer

1.   Refresher on basic concepts: Homopolymers vs. copolymers, molecular weight distributions and averages, polydispersity, free radical addition polymerization. 2.   Emulsion polymerization: Initiators, surfactants and other components. Polymerization rate and molecular weight control. 3.   Copolymerization equation, monomer reactivity ratios. Types of behaviors: random, alternating, blocky copolymers. Integrated copolymerization equation. Copolymer microstructure. ...

TBA ...

The course starts with an introduction to the design and synthesis of polymers with define chemical structures. A number of polymerization techniques will be descried briefly, including anionic, living free radical and migration insertion polymerizations. The principles guiding self-assembly behaviour of block copolymers and other building blocks will be discussed, followed by the material applications of the assembled polymeric ...