The research includes studies designed to: relate rheology of microphase-separated block copolymers to molecular characteristics; elucidate morphology of polymers with a crystalline block; understand block copolymer order-order transitions in-situ; to determine the effect of interfacial mixing on mechanical behavior of two-phase polymer blends, engineer more effective interfaces; prepare new ionomers and ion-containing blends; and to synthesize new biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates by microbial fermentation, studying morphology and structure-property relationships.
