Polyolefin Containing Architectures – Polymerization Methodologies

Polyolefins are the most significant and widely used polymeric materials.

Our group has invested in the development of polymerization methodologies to combine non-polar polyolefins with other polymer classes to capitalize on their properties and realize advanced materials. Furthermore, we discovered novel pathways to modulate the branching characteristics in polyolefins through the addition of cheap additives.

These materials are envisioned to find applications as energy storage materials, compatibilizers and materials with unique mechanical, self-assembly and optical properties. Block copolymers have been identified as one of the most valuable architectures to achieve these goals.

Our work has discovered one-pot polymerization pathways and organometallic catalysts to prepare polar(vinyl) polyolefin block copolymers in the broadest monomer range and molecular weight range to date.