Date of Award
5-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Chair
Sarah Morgan
Committee Chair School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 2
Derek Patton
Committee Member 2 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 3
William Jarrett
Committee Member 3 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Committee Member 4
Sergei Nazarenko
Committee Member 4 School
Polymer Science and Engineering
Abstract
Polymers are highly versatile materials whose properties can be precisely tuned through molecular design and processing, enabling applications ranging from flexible electronics to biomedical devices. This dissertation focuses on understanding and exploiting structure-processing-property relationships in functional polymer systems, with an emphasis on conjugated polymers for organic electronics and cationic polymer networks and films for biomedical applications. In the first part, donor-acceptor conjugated polymers were investigated to improve the performance and stability of flexible organic electronic devices. The effects of deuteration on physical structure and optoelectronic properties were systematically examined, revealing how isotopic substitution influences molecular packing, solid-state conformation, and charge transport. Building on these insights, thermally cleavable side chains were incorporated into PffBT-based polymers, resulting in enhanced thermal stability of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Together, these studies demonstrate how chemical modification and processing pathways can be leveraged to improve device performance and operational robustness. The second part of this dissertation focuses on biomedical delivery systems based on cationic glycopolymer hydrogels. By systematically tuning the solid weight fraction and network composition, the hydrogels achieved improved cargo loading and controlled release behavior, highlighting the critical role of polymer network density in optimizing drug delivery. In the final part, polymeric anti-adhesion barrier films were developed and evaluated as biodegradable biomedical coatings. Film formation was governed by processing parameters including temperature, solvent composition, and draw-down thickness, enabling the fabrication of mechanically robust and uniform films. Compared to a commercial benchmark (Seprafilm®), the fabricated barrier films exhibited significantly slower ex-situ degradation, retaining their structural integrity over extended periods. These results underscore the importance of processing-driven property control in designing functional polymer films for biomedical barrier applications. Overall, this dissertation demonstrates how a fundamental understanding of structure-processing-property relationships enables the rational design of polymeric materials across diverse applications, spanning flexible electronics, controlled delivery systems, and biodegradable biomedical coatings
ORCID ID
0000-0003-4672-4162
Copyright
Kundu Thapa, 2026
Recommended Citation
Thapa, Kundu, "Molecular Design and Structure-Property Relationships of Functional Polymers for Electronic and Biomedical Applications" (2026). Dissertations. 2481.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2481