Please join Yale Chemistry for an Energy Sciences and Chemistry Seminar with Yuting Zhou, Postdoctoral Research Associate from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Abstract: Redox-driven chemistry offers powerful opportunities to transform and functionalize synthetic polymers with molecular precision. This seminar will highlight two complementary strategies that demonstrate how chemical reactivity can be controlled within complex macromolecular systems.
I will first describe a cooperative electrochemical approach that enables dual C–H functionalization of deconstructed polyolefin fragments, installing dynamic crosslinking motifs under mild conditions and converting fragmented polymer waste into reprocessable covalent adaptable networks that enable low-energy reconfiguration and extended materials lifetimes.
I will then discuss mechanistic studies that uncover the fundamental oxy-ene pathways underlying the oxidative instability of cyclic-polyolefin thermosets. By identifying specific structural origins that govern oxidative reactivity, we reveal structure–reactivity relationships that allow oxidation chemistry to be redirected in a controlled manner rather than viewed solely as degradation. This understanding enables oxidation to serve as a chemically precise handle for macromolecular functionalization, expanding the design space for high-performance polymer networks.
Together, these advances illustrate how redox-driven molecular editing can enable next-generation functional materials while advancing a net-zero-waste manufacturing future.
To learn more about Yuting Zhou’s research: Yuting Zhou (0000-0002-8751-9686) - ORCID
Hosted by the Yale Energy Sciences Institute.
