This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant award under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program provides $300,000 in funding to a collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Houston and Carnegie Mellon University. The award supports the development of novel polymeric materials by combining polar and non-polar polymer chains into complex segmented copolymer architectures. This work aims to advance energy storage materials and plastic upcycling by leveraging precise molecular design and controlled radical polymerization techniques. The researchers will utilize advanced polymerization methods, including regenerative atom transfer radical polymerization, to create di-block, tri-block, star, and bottlebrush polymer structures with tailored properties. This research is expected to enhance the fundamental understanding of combining normally incompatible polar and non-polar polymer segments and enable the exploration of innovative nanostructured materials.
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