Events

Description:

Charged Polymers for Emerging Biological and Energy Technologies

Professor Timothy E. Long
Department of Chemistry
Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute
Virginia Tech

PLEASE NOTE:  LOCATION.  This event will not be held at Michael's in Mountain View but at FAZ Restaurant in Sunnyvale. 

Abstract

Charged polymers have received renewed attention due to their potential impact in a wide range of technologies from adhesives and elastomers to drug delivery vectors and electromechanical transducers. This lecture will focus on the introduction of charged sites to various polymer architectures with a focus on ammonium, phosphonium, and imidazolium sites. Cationic sites on the main chain with mobile anions permit versatility due to the wide array of anions that are available. The thermomechanical properties, solubility, and conductivity are effectively controlled over a wide temperature range. This lecture will highlight our recent discoveries dealing with the comparison of ammonium versus phosphonium cations. Due to a larger atomic radius and less electronegativity, the phosphonium cations presents unique opportunities in biomedical technologies. Moreover, variation of the alkyl substituent on the cation center enables amphiphilic characteristics that offer impact for intracellular transport. Our research has demonstrated a range of synthetic methods for the incorporation of the imidazolium cation, including controlled radical polymerization and ionene formation using vinyl imidazoles and Difunctional imidazoles, respectively. In particular, the 4-vinyl imidazole monomer is well-suited for RAFT polymerization due to enhanced stability of the propagating radical, thus enabling the formation of block copolymer architectures.

Speaker Background

Timothy Long received his B. S. from St. Bonaventure University, followed by his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. He spent several years as a research scientist at Eastman Kodak Company before returning to Virginia Tech as a professor in chemistry. He has been a faculty member in the department of chemistry since 1998 and recently served as Associate Director of Interdisciplinary Research and Education, Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech. He serves currently as the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives in the College of Science at Virginia Tech. He has received many honors in his field of polymer chemistry, including the American Chemical Society PMSE Cooperative Research Award and POLY Mark Scholars Award, the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council Carl Dahlquist Award, Virginia Tech’s Alumni Award for Research Excellence, ACS Fellow, invited organizer of the Gordon Research Conference – Polymers, and Chair, ACS Polymer Division. He has also assembled a successful interdisciplinary research group and has been awarded ~ $30M in research funding during his time with Virginia Tech. His group’s continuing research goal is to integrate fundamental research in novel macromolecular structure and polymerization processes with the development of high performance macromolecules for advanced technologies.

*****************************************************

Date:

Wedensday, September 19

Location:

FAZ Restaurant
1108 North Mathilda Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA
Map

Timing:

6 PM social hour
7 PM dinner
8 PM lecture

Cost:

	Employed/postdoc	Student/unemployed/retired
Early Registration - Up to 7 days in advance of deadline	$30	$15
Registration - Up to deadline	$35	$20
After deadline/walk-in (Availability NOT guaranteed)	$40	$25

Lecture-only is free.

Payment:

We accept cash or checks, but are unable to accept payment by credit card at this time. Payment is taken at the door.  No-shows are responsible for full payment of registration fee.

Registration:

Please register on the web page https://ggpf.mystagingwebsite.com/ or contact:
Albert Your
email: albertyour@gmail.com
phone: 650-273-2408

Deadline for registration:

5PM, Tuesday, September 11 for early registration discount
5PM, Sunday, September 16 for registration (or until venue has reached capacity.)

Dinner Selection:

No selection necessary.  All registrants will participate in the Mediterranean Buffet, which will contain some vegetarian options.

You should receive confirmation of your registration; if not, please contact us again.