The quality of our life has been greatly improved with new materials. Our group is taking synthetic approaches to develop new polymeric materials, and some of our projects are outlined below.
Lithium Sensors: Lithium sensors can be employed in lithium extraction from primary lithium resources (lithium ores/brine) and secondary lithium sources (spent lithium-ion batteries). We have been developing novel small molecules and polymers for the selective detection and separation of lithium ions. Specifically, we utilized extended π-systems with lithium-chelating ligands for lithium detection using photophysical processes. Additionally, we employed a 19F NMR-based chemical sensing system by incorporating fluorine atoms into the π-conjugated molecules.
Biobased Polymers: Fossil fuels have been the main source of polymers, while posing many issues such as environmental concerns and greenhouse gases. Biomass-derived small molecules are excellent resources for sustainable production of polymers. We study the incorporation of biomass (vegetable oils, carbohydrates, and terpenes) into the polymer platforms with properties that can outperform the petrochemical polymers. Also, we are interested in bio-based polymers with biodegradability, thereby creating a green route for polymer production and biodegradation.
Peptides and Proteins: Peptides and proteins are biological polymers that have mono-disperse molecular weight distribution and possess elegant 3D structures. As materials, they exhibit great selectivity for catalysis and induce self-assembly, which are not achievable from synthetic polymers. We incorporate peptide and protein into polymer systems for peptide-polymer and protein-polymer bioconjugates with novel properties, such as sensors.
Conjugated Polymers: Polythiophenes are notable semiconductive polymers and they can be readily functionalized to append receptors on the polymer backbone. Using these receptors, we are developing active materials used as chemiresistive sensors that can detect gases and volatile organic compounds. In addition, poly(phenylene ethynylene)s, abbreviated as PPEs, are highly fluorescent polymers and have been used as chemical sensors due to their sensitivity (signal amplification) and selectivity. We are synthesizing several PPE derivatives for the detection of metals, biomolecules, and proteins.