Prof. Patrick Lutz, Department of Chemistry, St. Lawrence University will present Designing New “Self-Destructible” Poly(phthalaldehyde) Derivatives
Abstract: Polymers that depolymerize back to monomers can be repeatedly chemically recycled, thereby reducing their environmental impact. Poly(phthalaldehyde) is a metastable polymer that can rapidly and quantitatively depolymerize due to its low ceiling temperature. However, the effect of substitution on the physical and chemical properties of polyphthalaldehyde derivatives have been understudied. In this talk, I will discuss my postdoctoral work to investigate the cationic polymerization of a range of o-phthalaldehyde derivatives. We found that varying the substituents resulted in materials with a wide range of ceiling temperatures (<−60 to 106 °C) and thermal decomposition temperatures (109−196 °C). These new polymers and their derivatives could enable researchers to access degradable materials with tunable thermal, physical, and chemical properties.
Friday, Nov 10, 2023
3:30 PM BH Snell Hall 214, Potsdam Campus
Zoom Information: Link
Meeting ID: 950 1099 7564
Passcode: chemistry
