Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Rate Acceleration Of Organocatalytic Ring-Opening Polymerization Rough The Application Of Bis- And Tris- ( Io)Urea H- Bond Donors, Samuel S. Spink

Senior Honors Projects

Well-defined and functionalized polymers have a wide variety of applications in biomedical studies. Advancements in the fields of drug delivery, microelectronics, and medical imaging, among other applications, are predicated upon the development of methods for the synthesis of precision polymers. Organocatalytic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic monomers is an effective route to the production of polymeric materials, namely polyesters and polycarbonates, whose biodegradable properties make them a viable option in biomedical research. Arguably, H-bond mediated catalysts are among the most selective catalysts for ROP, giving rise to highly functionalized polycarbonates, well-controlled polymerizations, and other custom tailored applications. With respect to …