Triple Detection System for Characterization of Depolymerizable Polymers

This proposal seeks support for purchasing a Wyatt triple detection system to append to an existing gel permeation chromatograph GPC for characterizing synthetic polymers. The triple detection system consists of i an Optilab TrEX refractometer, ii a Viscostar II viscometer, and iii a Dawn Heleos 8 multi-angle light scattering detector. Combining these instruments with our existing GPC will give us the capability to i determine the absolute molecular weights of polymers that we are designing in our ARO- and DTRA-sponsored efforts, which is essential for correlating small molecular changes of the polymers to changes in the macroscopic properties of materials ii characterize physical properties of the polymers namely, the radius of gyration and hydrodynamic radius and iii characterize the molecular weight and branching density of branched polymeric systems. Additionally, the triple detection system also will i accelerate current collaborative efforts with Ayusman Sens group a DTRA-sponsored project at the Pennsylvania State University ii position graduate students and postdoctoral fellows conducting the research at the forefront of polymer characterization techniques and iii expose undergraduate chemistry students who enroll in an existing advanced organic laboratory course to aspects of polymer chemistry and state of-the-art polymer characterization.