Biomedicine The use of fundamental chemistry to advance the fields of polymers, materials, and biomedicine is a major emphasis in modern research. Professor Harry Allcock and his students are exploring novel approaches to these subjects by the synthesis and study of new classes of high polymers and advanced materials using the techniques of organic, organometallic, and inorganic chemistry.
High polymers are long chain macromolecules that are the constituents of many useful materials.
Depending on their molecular structures, different polymers can have properties, such as liquid crystallinity, high strength or elasticity, catalytic activity, unusual optical or electrical properties, or special biomedical qualities. Most conventional polymers are derived entirely from petroleum. They are inexpensive, but they have a relatively restricted range of properties. For example, in general, they lack the thermal stability of ceramics, the long-term electrical behavior of silicon or metals, the optical switching behavior of inorganic solids, or the biocompatibility of living tissues and ceramic materials. The research in the Allcock group involves the design and synthesis of new polymers that contain organic components, together with heteroelements such as phosphorus, silicon, boron, or transition metals.