Polymer Chemistry

Catalog description

This graduate course discusses the new advances in polymer chemistry that leads to new polymeric materials with interesting structures and properties. CHEM (MATSE) 543CHEM (MATSE) 543 Polymer Chemistry (3) This course provides advance level of polymer chemistry and materials taught in MATSE 441 - Polymeric Materials. Students are able to know the versatility that is inherent in polymer chemistry and the new research results and activities, especially controlling polymerization, polymer structures, designing polymers with desirable properties, etc. Students shall also understand the major economic and environmental concerns and solutions in producing commercial-scale polymers.This polymer chemistry course provides important links between chemistry and polymeric materials. The course will focus on recent advances in polymer chemistry that affords new polymer materials with controlled polymer structures, compositions, and properties, as well as economic and "green" processes.This course is designed for graduate students having basic knowledge in organic, inorganic, and organometallic principles. For Chemistry major, this course offers students with the knowledge to apply chemical principles and methods to design and prepare the desirable polymers (no prerequisite for Chemistry graduate students). For Material Science and other majors, this course provides advance level of polymer chemistry and materials taught in MATSE 441 (a prerequisite course).In addition, each student will be required to review (presentation and term-paper) a contemporary subject relative to polymer chemistry, which will help student self-education, and presentation and writing skills. Students will be evaluated by quizzes and examinations, a term-paper and presentation, and class participation.