Material Design from Nature: Bio-Inspired and Bio-Based Polymers
Nature inspires and informs the design of new materials. By looking to nature, we can design materials offering desirable properties such as response to environmental stimuli, improved safety, and sustainability. To develop materials with these desirable attributes, our approach involves designing the material at the molecular level by incorporating structural building blocks inspired by or derived from nature. By modifying the chemical makeup of these materials, we can tune their responses and thereby engineer materials for diverse applications, such as in drug delivery, sustainable plastic packaging, and membranes.
Our group strives to cultivate a culture of collaboration and inclusivity where every member can contribute their skills and perspectives towards achieving our goals. We are committed to training the next generation of scientists and engineers by providing a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and professional growth. Our ultimate aim is to make meaningful contributions to polymer science while closely training, mentoring, and encouraging undergraduate researchers.
We are grateful for the support of the National Science Foundation (RUI and CAREER) and American Chemical Society (Undergraduate New Investigator, PRF) for funding our research and educational efforts.
Bio-Inspired Polymers
In nature, biological systems respond in a dynamic and constructive way to their environments. Examples from nature, such as the healing of skin after a cut, inspire the development of stimuli-responsive (or “smart”) polymers, which are designed to undergo changes in their physical or chemical properties in response to specific external stimuli such as force, pH, light, or the presence of a chemical analyte. This responsiveness enables these materials to adapt to and interact with their environment in a controlled and precise manner. The development of these materials enable applications including self-healing materials that repair themselves after damage, controlled drug release in targeted therapies, and responsive coatings that adjust to environmental conditions. These polymers hold promise for enhancing the efficiency and functionality of various technologies, leading to improved performance, sustainability, and overall quality of life.
Light-activated healing Gas-triggered swelling
Bio-Based Polymers
Plastics are ubiquitous in modern society, yet most are derived from nonrenewable sources, and thus their manufacture and disposal present pressing environmental challenges. These challenges have driven interest towards developing sustainable approaches to enable a circular economy, which includes use of renewable building blocks, environmentally benign synthetic steps, and assessment of end-of-life degradability/recycling. Developing plastics from renewable biomass sources may reduce our dependence on petroleum and promote sustainable alternatives to our growing use of petroleum-derived plastics. Specifically, synthesizing plastics using building blocks found in nature, including those extracted from tree bark and plant oil, present promising approaches towards bio-based polymers that may alleviate environmental and human health concerns of current methods.
Plastics made from tree bark