Date of Award
Spring 3-2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Chair
Yoan Simon
Committee Chair School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 2
Derek Patton
Committee Member 2 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 3
Sarah Morgan
Committee Member 3 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 4
Robson Storey
Committee Member 4 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 5
Xiaodan Gu
Committee Member 5 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Abstract
Bottlebrush polymers have garnered interest in many disciplines for their unique structure-property characteristics and potential applications. These polymers typically exhibit extended rodlike conformations as a result of sterically crowded side-chains. Further, extensive work has focused on expanding the synthetic toolbox for these systems, resulting in excellent molecular weight control, diverse functional group utility and corresponding stimuli-responsive behaviors. This dissertation examines both synthetic and stimuli-responsive tools in the context of bottlebrush systems.
A broad overview of bottlebrush characteristics, synthesis, and applications is discussed in CHAPTER I. CHAPTER II focuses on the use of a chain-transfer agent in the ring-opening metathesis polymerization of bottlebrush polymers to generate novel α, ω-telechelic bottlebrushes. In-depth kinetic studies showed bottlebrushes exhibit slightly slower chain transfer than linear analogues and chain-transfer agent sterics play a significant role in reaching quantitative conversion. Further, bottlebrushes with polymerizable end-groups were chain extended with atom transfer radical polymerization to generate linear-block-bottlebrush-block-linear copolymers. In CHAPTER III, three different systems of bottlebrushes with o-nitrobenzene-based, photocleavable side-chains were explored to elucidate the backbone molecular weight after photoscission to mixed success. In CHAPTER IV, an amphiphilic, diblock bottlebrush system with photocleavable side-chains demonstrated spatiotemporal control after aqueous self-assembly. Finally, in CHAPTER V, a brief overview and future outlook of the dissertation is presented.
ORCID ID
0000-0002-0607-8664
Recommended Citation
Liu, Cheyenne, "THE SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND UTILIZATION OF FUNCTIONALLY DIVERSE ROMP-BASED BOTTLEBRUSHES" (2023). Dissertations. 2131.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2131