James J. Watkins
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Degree Information:
B.S., Chemical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 1987
M.S., Chemical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 1988
Ph.D., Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1997
Mailing Address:
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
Room A616, Conte Research Center
University of Massachusetts Amherst
120 Governors Drive
Amherst, MA 01003
Phone:
413-545-2569
Email:
watkins@polysci.umass.edu
Fax:
413-545-0082
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Research Interests:
Macromolecular templates for functional device structures, materials synthesis and processing in supercritical fluids, phase behavior and transport in multi-component polymer systems, scalable fabrication of nanostructure materials.
Current Research:
Our current efforts are divided loosely into three areas. First, we have developed fundamentally new approaches to the preparation of hierarchical materials, including mesoporous metal oxides and carbons, by the three dimensional replication of block copolymer (BCP) templates in supercritical carbon dioxide. The technique involves the infusion and selective reaction of metal oxide and carbon precursors within one phase domain of highly ordered dilated templates. BCP templates with spherical and cylindrical morphologies yield robust mesostructured films over 1 micron thick that retain all the structural details of the sacrificial copolymer template (top right). Separation of the template formation and infusion steps is enabling as structure on both the local and device levels can be achieved wholly in the polymer template prior to infusion of the inorganic phase. For example, phase-segregated BCP films with cylindrical domains oriented normal to the substrate yield the corresponding silicate and titania mesostructures containing arrays of continuous, perpendicular channels with tunable pore sizes (bottom right). Second, we study phase behavior and dynamics in polymer systems dilated with SCFs to address fundamental issues including the effects of compressibility on polymer phase transitions and scaling behavior in highly concentrated systems and to aid in the development of novel processing strategies and new materials. Finally, we pioneered a new approach to metal and metal oxide depositions from supercritical fluids that is proving to be enabling for device applications.
Honors and Distinctions:
- Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2000-2005)
- David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship for Science and Engineering (1998-2003)
- CAREER Award, National Science Foundation (1998-2002)
- 3M Non-tenured Faculty Award (1998 - 2000)
- Unilever Award, American Chemical Society for Outstanding Graduate Research in Polymer Science and Engineering (1998)
- Arthur K. Doolittle Award, Division of Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering, American Chemical Society (1996)
- Fellow, American Physical Society
