1134832 University of Cincinnati; Gregory Beaucage 1134788 University of Michigan; Ronald Larson
The University of Cincinnati and the University of Michigan are collaborating to establish the proposed center, with the University of Cincinnati as the lead institution.
This is a planning grant request from the University of Cincinnati and the University of Michigan to explore a potential I/UCRC in macromolecular topology. Funds are requested for a two-day planning meeting with potential industrial sponsors in Cincinnati. The proposed Center for Macromolecular Topology (CMT) will address a need in the polymer industry to synthetically control, characterize, model and simulate complex macromolecular architectures to manipulate mechanical and rheological properties.
The CMT will develop human capacity in the chemical industry. The center will significantly enhance the nations research infrastructure base, and plans to coordinate internet based video courses on rheology, scattering, synthesis and modeling of complex macromolecular systems that will be available to industrial as well as academic participants and the general public on arrangement with the Universities. CMT will actively recruit women and minority graduate and undergraduate students. The center has as a main goal enhancement of the intellectual capacity of the engineering workforce and capabilities in controlling molecular topology. Improvement in the control of molecular topology will lead directly to improvements in a wide range of consumer and industrial products from gels to tires; from plastic packaging to viscosity enhancement in oils.
will address the need in the polymer industry to synthetically control, characterize, model and simulate complex macromolecular and nano-architectures for improved mechanical and rheological properties and controlled processing. Research in the center will develop methods to measure and manipulate chain (and nano-) topology to optimize processing and properties. The center will have two sites at the University of Cincinnati and at the University of Michigan. Affiliated researchers will also participate in the center from the University of Tennessee, University of Athens/KAUST, University of Waterloo and McGill University. CMT will involve interaction with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology as well as the Polymer Interdisciplinary Research Centre at the University of Leeds, Durham, Sheffield and Bradford in the UK. CMT will fund projects targeting the interests of the industrial advisory board (IAB), organize access to characterization, fractionation, processing facilities, and capabilities for synthesis of model materials. The center will organize symposia, short courses and other educational activities such as web sites, interactive web courses and topical Skype/PolyCom meetings/classes focusing on the interests of the IAB. The center will also provide a recruitment venue for IAB members as well as facilitate center-related consulting and contract research. Intellectual Merit of the Center: The Center for Macromolecular Topology will address the need in the polymer industry to synthetically control, characterize, model and simulate complex macromolecular architectures to manipulate mechanical and rheological properties. This topic has broad industrial and academic interest making it ideal for an I/UCRC Center. Control and quantification of complex macromolecular architectures is of pivotal importance in the polyolefin industry where the addition of one long chain branch per ten thousand carbon atoms in polyethylene can increase the viscosity by a factor of 35. Similarly, control of branching in gels, networks and elastomers remains a synthetic and characterization challenge of broad importance to industry. Broader Impact of the Center: The CMT will develop human capacity in the chemical industry. The center will significantly enhance the nation’s research infrastructure base, which is losing ground to European, Asian and Middle Eastern competition in the polyolefin and other industries targeted by the center. The center will coordinate internet based video courses on rheology, scattering, synthesis and modeling of complex macromolecular systems that will be available to industrial as well as academic participants and the general public on arrangement with the Universities. CMT will actively recruit women and minority graduate and undergraduate students. The center has as a main goal enhancement of the intellectual capacity of the engineering workforce and capabilities in controlling molecular topology. Improvement in our control of molecular topology will lead directly to improvements in a wide range of consumer and industrial products from gels to tires; from plastic packaging to viscosity enhancement in oils.
