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Professor Cunningham's research interests involve the design of polymeric nanoparticles with controlled microstructure and the kinetics of polymerization reactions. There is a strong emphasis on emulsion and miniemulsion polymerization. His research group is currently involved in projects in controlled (living) radical polymerization in miniemulsion and emulsion polymerization, and the design of functional polymeric microspheres for living radical polymerizations and bioseparations. He holds an Ontario Research Chair in Green Chemistry and Engineering.
Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Positions Available
I have openings for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows available immediately. on the following projects.
Synthesis of Polymer Nanoparticles by Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization
Polymer nanoparticles have application in a variety of areas, including traditional industries (especially paints, coatings and adhesives) but also more recently in advanced materials including for example biomedical devices, solar energy devices, and sophisticated sensors. A key enabling advance in recent years has been the development of new "living" or “controlled” radical (L/CRP) polymerization chemistries that have allowed us to design polymers and particles with far more sophisticated control of physical and chemical properties than was ever previously attainable. While most work in L/CRP has focused in reactions in solvents, our research group has pioneered the adaptation of L/CRP chemistry to making nanoparticles in water-based dispersions. In addition to realizing the advantages of nanoparticle properties, our approach also provides a much “greener” route to making L/CRO polymers, as we eliminate the need for organic solvents and instead use water as our reaction medium.
Positions are available for two or three graduate students, at either the M.Sc. or Ph.D. levels, as well as the postdoctoral fellow level. Funding for these projects is provided by an Ontario Research Chair in Green Chemistry and Engineering.
Stimuli-Responsive (Smart) Polymer Colloids: Switchable Surfactants for Polymers and Coatings
This is a collaborative project with Prof. P. Jessop (Dept of Chemistry, Queen's)
that involves the
use of "switchable surfactants" triggered by carbon dioxide
(Liu, Yingxin; Jessop, Philip G.; Cunningham, Michael; Eckert, Charles A.; Liotta, Charles L. “Switchable Surfactants.” Science (2006), 313, 958-960)
Positions are available for one or two graduate students, at either the M.Sc. or Ph.D. levels, as well as the postdoctoral fellow level. Funding for these projects is provided by an Ontario Research Chair in Green Chemistry and Engineering.
Current research projects include:
- Synthesis and Characterization of Polymers with Controlled Microstructure using Living Radical Polymerization in Miniemulsion More...
- Stimuli-Responsive (Smart) Polymer Colloids More...
- Design of Functional Polymeric Microspheres for Bioseparations More...
- Design of Functional Polymeric Microspheres for Living Radical Polymerizations More...
- Synthesis of Polymers for Automotive Coatings using Living Radical Polymerization (with R. Hutchinson) More...
- Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass using ionic liquids (with P. Champagne)
"The great tragedy of science - the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact"
- T.H. Huxley
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