The core of our work involves gaining a detailed understanding on how to control functionality and performance of materials over multiple length scales. Polymeric materials have found widespread use over the last century due to the ability to design structures with a wide variety of properties. What is now needed is a systematic way to develop materials with specified properties by controlling structure, chemistry and shape at the nanoscale – so called nanotechnology. Through a combination of synthetic polymer chemistry and high resolution patterning techniques, we are able to create materials that serve advanced applications by controlling both functionality and shape over a wide range of length-scales (nm – mm). Specific research project within the group include: (1) the synthesis and design of electrical and optically active polymers e.g. FETs, PLEDs, memory and photovoltaics; (2) examination of polymer brushes –we tailor surface functionality through the growth of dense polymer brush layers on flat and particle surfaces; and (3) imprint lithography of polymers and organics, where we work on enabling materials and processes that allow unprecedented control of size and shape and design processes that are ultimately useful in real manufacturing environments.

The figure below illustrates how our focus on macromolecular material design, synthesis and characterization feed into our areas of interest such as new polymerization techniques, nanopatterning, surface science and applications.