Ordered and templated polymerizations. Ordering effects are seen in polymerizations of surfactants with groups that will photopolymerize. Because of the ordering in the micelle, the polymerization kinetics are much different than might be otherwise expected. I am interested in determining the polymerization mechanisms that drive these changes and using these insights to develop stable polymeric micelles for use in coatings and potential drug delivery devices. I am also interested in looking at these polyemrizable surfactants at higher concentrations in which they take on lyotropic liquid crystalline behavior. The lyotropic mesophases are of a scientific interest in that the type and amount of ordering will be different from phase to phase and hence the polymerization behavior will be changed. Because of the unique and well defined morphologies of these polymerizable lyotropic liquid crystals many practical applications could be possible. For example polymerizable lyotropic liquid crystals could be used in synthesizing novel nanocomposites with well defined architecture, also there exists patents on polymerizable surfactants for opthalmic repair and drug delivery, and these types of materials could be utilized for the synthesis of materials useful in a variety of membrane mediated chemistries. Through a better understanding of the polymerization behavior of these materials the realization of these applications could be accomplished.
The effects of order on the polymerization and on the ultimate polymer properties are also being investigated in a variety of other systems including poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) poly(DADMAC) Poly(DADMAC) is used extensively in flocculation and coagulation in paper and textile manufacture, electroconductive materials, and biological, medical, and food applications and has recently been investigated for use in "smart" polymers which change conformation with external stimuli. DADMAC is an ionic water soluble monomer and is typically polymerized under a wide range of conditions. The counterion used may have a large effect on the reaction behavior and molecular weight. The work concentrates on using photopolymerizations to study the kinetics during the formation of the polymer using different templating ions and crosslinking agents and how these kinetics relate to the properties of the material. Also several modified derivatives of DADMAC will be studied similarly as homopolymers and in copolymerizations with a variety of monomers.