Location
Innovation Lab Atrium
Start Date
4-3-2025 10:00 AM
End Date
4-3-2025 11:30 AM
Presentation Date
3 April 2025, 10:00am - 11:30am
Biography
Sara McCauley is a third year Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry and is a Kummer Innovation and Entrepreneurship Doctoral Fellow. She works with Dr. Thomas Schuman to develop ultra-high-temperature resistant hydrogels for application in geothermal energy. She received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a Polymers Emphasis in 2022 from Missouri S&T.
Meeting Name
2025 - Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference
Department(s)
Chemistry
Second Department
Materials Science and Engineering
Document Type
Poster
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
event
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2025 Sara McCauley, All rights reserved
COinS
Apr 3rd, 10:00 AM
Apr 3rd, 11:30 AM
Polymerization Methods for Vinyl Phosphonate Monomers: Challenges and Perspectives
Innovation Lab Atrium
Comments
Advisor: Thomas P. Schuman
Abstract:
Polymers containing phosphorus-based functional groups such as phosphonic acid and phosphonic ester are highly desirable and have a range of potential applications, including in proton-conducting membranes for fuel cells, flame-retardant coatings, and biomaterials. While modification of existing polymers to contain phosphorus groups is feasible and has been reported on, greater control of the end product composition can be achieved by using phosphorus-containing monomers in the synthesis of the polymer. However, the polymerization of phosphorus-containing vinyl monomers has several challenges. Here, we discuss the polymerization of vinyl phosphonate monomers using free radical, anionic, and cationic polymerization methods and rationalize poor polymerization outcomes in terms of the interaction of reactive chemical species with the phosphorus heteroatom. We will discuss the implications of these findings for the industrial use-case of vinyl phosphonate monomers.