This award will provide partial support for the acquisition of two analytical instruments, a high-temperature GPC (gel permeation chromatography) and an analytical ultracentrifuge. These instruments will be added to a newly created 'molecular weight characterization' facility hosted by the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering at Univeristy of Massachussetts, Amherst, and will allow them to determine molecular weights even for "problem" polymers such as self-associating polymers, polymers poorly soluble under classical conditions (i.e., in an organic solvent at room temperature) and water-soluble polymers. The co-PIs (four main users and three minor users) have research projects in the field of polymer synthesis, biomaterials, and polymer characterization that are summarized in the research section and will strongly benefit from a direct access to these instruments.
The new facility is administered under the same rules as the current Materials Research Science and Engineering Center - Polymer Science & Engineering facilities, with full access to the about twenty-five research groups at the University of Massachusetts with research interests in the field of polymeric materials (Departments of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, and Chemical Engineering). Access to the ultracentrifuge will also be provided to researchers in the Molecular Biology program. Both instruments will contribute to the success of research programs at other places in the country, in particular at Howard University via the participation of one of the minor users.
The equipment will be integrated into the educational programs of students at all levels (i.e., graduate and undergraduate, high school outreach, and K-12 programs). The instruments will also be used in the U. of Massachusetts Materials Research Science and Engineering Center supported workshops, where K-12 teachers learn how to introduce polymer science and engineering concepts into their classroom curricula. %%% The instrumentation will be used for polymer science and engineering research and educational activities at University of Massachusetts and Howard University. ***
