Polymer Science and Engineering

In the field of polymers and materials science, we have several active projects

• We investigate the effects of polymer structural characteristics on the diffusion coefficient and diffusion behavior of small and large molecules, concentrating on the diffusion of liquid penetrants and macromolecules through glassy and rubbery polymers in the presence or absence of macromolecular relaxations. We have developed exact molecular and approximate phenomenological theories for describing such systems.
   
• New molecular theories are developed that account for the effect of the macromolecular structure of polymers on its solute diffusion coefficient. For example, we have introduced two theories that can predict the dependence on the number average molecular weight between crosslinks, the hydrodynamic radius of the solute, and the degree of swelling for highly and moderately swollen nonporous membranes.
   
• We are studying the necessary and sufficient conditions for Fickian and non-Fickian diffusion of a solute through glassy swellable polymers. We are using continuum thermodynamic theory to describe anomalous transport in glassy polymers.
   
• We investigate polymer-polymer interdiffusion and provide important physical interpretation of adhesion and healing phenomena.
   
• We are working on fundamental investigations that illuminate the nature of hydrogen bonding in complexation hydrogels, crystallization of polymers, rubber elasticity of networks, structure of crosslinked polystyrene, structure of polymer/diluent systems, and block copolymers.
   
• We have an active program on the polymerization kinetics of acrylates and methacrylates, especially multifunctional monomers used in producing networks. We study the preparation and properties of highly crosslinked polymers, which can be used in such high-tech applications as coatings, films, optical fibers, compact disks, and lenses. We have developed fundamental descriptions for the propagation and termination rate constants of multifunctional polymerization/crosslinking reactions.

Publications

Y. Huang, I. Szleifer and N.A. Peppas, “Gel-Gel Adhesion by Tethered Polymers,” J. Chem. Phys., 114, 3809-3816 (2001). [PDF Reprint]

J. Zhang and N.A. Peppas, “Molecular Interactions in Poly(methacrylic acid)/Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) Interpenetrating Polymeric Networks,” J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 82, 1077-1082 (2001). [PDF Reprint]

J.H. Ward, A. Shahar, and N.A. Peppas, "Kinetics of "Living" Radical Polymerizations of Multifunctional Monomers," Polymer, 43, 1745-1752 (2002). [PDF Reprint]

Y. Huang, I. Szleifer and N.A. Peppas, “A Molecular Theory of Polymer Gels,” Macromolecules, 35, 1373-1380 (2002). [ PDF Reprint]

D.N. Robinson and N.A. Peppas, “Preparation and Characterization of pH-Responsive Poly(methacrylic acid-g-poly(ethylene glycol) Nanospheres,” Macromolecules, 35, 3668-3674 (2002). [PDF Reprint]

R. Bashir, J.Z. Hilt, A. Gupta, O. Elibol and N.A. Peppas, “Micromechanical Cantilever as an ultrasensitive pH Microsensor,” Appl. Phys. Lett., 81, 3091-3093 (2002). [PDF Reprint]

B. Kim and N.A. Peppas, “Complexation Phenomena in pH-Responsive Copolymer Networks with Pendent Saccharides,” Macromolecules, 35, 9545-9550 (2002). [PDF Reprint]

N.A. Peppas, A. Argade and S. Bhargava, “Preparation and Properties of Poly(ethylene oxide) Star Polymers,” J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 87, 322-327 (2003). [PDF Reprint]

B. Kim, K. La Flamme and N.A. Peppas, “Dynamic Swelling Behavior of pH-Sensitive Anionic Hydrogels Used for Protein Delivery,” J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 89, 1606-1613 (2003). [PDF Reprint]

B. Kim and N.A. Peppas, “Analysis of Molecular Interactions in P(MAA-g-EG) Hydrogels,” Polymer, 44, 3701-3707 (2003). [PDF Reprint]

J.H. Ward, K. Furman and N.A. Peppas, “Effect of Monomer Type and Dangling End Size on Polymer Network Synthesis,” J. Appl. Polym. Sci, 89, 3506-3519 (2003). [PDF Reprint]

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Responsive and Recognitive Hydrogels Using Star Polymers,” J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 68A, 439-447 (2004). [PDF Reprint]

N.A. Peppas, “Kinetics of Smart Hydrogels”, in “Reflexive Polymers and Hydrogels: Understanding and Designing Fast-responsive Polymeric Systems”, N. Yui, R. Mrsny and K. Park, eds., 99- 113, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2004. [PDF Reprint]

E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Dynamic Studies of Molecular Imprinting Polymerizations”, Polymer, 45, 6163-6173 (2004).

N.A. Peppas and Y. Huang, “Nanoscale Technology of Mucoadhesive Interactions”, Adv. Drug Deliv. Revs., 56, 1675-1687 (2004). [PDF Reprint]

K. Podual, F. Doyle III and N.A. Peppas, “Modeling of Water Transport in and Release from Glucose-sensitive, Swelling-controlled Release Systems Based on P(DEAEM-g-EG)”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 43, 7500-7512 (2004).

K. Podual and N. A. Peppas, “Relaxational Behavior and Swelling-pH Master Curves of Poly(diethylaminoethyl methacrylate-g-ethylene glycol) Hydrogels”, Polym. Intern., 54, 581-593 (2005). [PDF Reprint]

J. B. Thomas, N. A. Peppas, M. Sato and T. J. Webster, “Nanotechnology and Biomaterials” in “Nanomaterials Handbook”, Y. Gogotsi, ed., 605-636, CRC Taylor and Francis, Boca Raton, FL, 2006. [PDF Reprint]

N.A. Peppas and J.Z. Hilt, “Intelligent Polymeric Networks in Biomolecular Sensing”, in R. Bashir and S. Wereley, eds., Handbook of BioMEMs and Biomedical Nanotechnology”, 117-131, Klouwer, Amsterdam, 2006. [PDF Reprint]

N.A. Peppas, J.Z. Hilt, A. Khademhosseini and R. Langer, “Hydrogels in Biology and Medicine: From Fundamentals to Bionanotechnology”, Adv. Mater., 18, 1345-1360 (2006). [PDF Reprint]

L. Serra, J. Doménech and N. A. Peppas, “Drug Transport Mechanisms in and Release Kinetics from Molecularly Designed P(Acrylic Acid-g-Ethylene Glycol) Hydrogels”, Biomaterials, 27, 5440-5451 (2006). [PDF Reprint]

N.A. Peppas, “Intelligent Biomaterials as Pharmaceutical Carriers in Microfabricated and Nanoscale Devices”, MRS Bulletin, 31, 888-893 (2006). [ PDF Reprint]

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