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We are a polymer chemistry research lab interested in making degradable polymers and nucleic acid-like polymers.
We are a polymer chemistry research lab interested in making degradable polymers and nucleic acid-like polymers.
We welcome PLNU students who are interested in organic chemistry or polymer research to inquire.
We welcome PLNU students who are interested in organic chemistry or polymer research to inquire.
Why degradable polymers?
Why degradable polymers?
Making commodity polymer and plastic degradable and recyclabe can help alleviate plastic pollution - a global problem that is affecting the well-being of people and life on earth. One of the promising strategy that balances cost, performance, and environmental impact is to make copolymer that incorporate a small but critical proportion of cleavable bonds.
Here's a cartoon schematic that shows the main idea:
We mostly work with vinyl polymers (e.g., polyacrylate, polystyrene, and polymethacrylate) that are synthesized by radical polymerization.
Why DNA/RNA-like polymers?
Why DNA/RNA-like polymers?
These synthetic analogs could interact with natural nucleic acids or proteins and function as therapeutic, diagnostic, or drug delivery agents. Scientists have also used them to make materials with adhesive, self-healing, or stimuli-responsive properties. Another emerging area of interest is using them to store data.
What are DNA/RNA-like polymers?
What are DNA/RNA-like polymers?
There isn't one single answer and scientists have developed different approaches that emulate different characteristics of nucleic acids. For us, the defining characteristics of nucleic acids is that they contain nucleobase (A, T/U, C, and G) arranged in sequence. There are many other important characteristics of DNA/RNA, and it may not be necessary or beneficial to emulate them.
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