Polymers, Composites and Nano Materials Science at the College of William & Mary in Virginia

The broad diversity of molecular structures available in polymers, composites and nano- materials leads to combinations of properties that cannot be achieved with any other substance. Faculty research in polymers, composites and nano-materials science includes a spectrum of activities in the synthesis, chemical/physical characterization and processing of nano-materials up to long-chain molecules, as well as precursors and meta-materials produced from them. Students enter with a wide range of backgrounds including synthetic chemistry, physical and analytical chemistry, solid-state physics, and chemical and mechanical engineering.

 

At William and Mary students can select research topics from many areas including:

·   Polymer growth  & degradation mechanisms

·   Computer simulation of polymer dynamics, piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics

·   Design and synthesis of electrically conductive polymers and nanocomposites

·   Dielectric phenomena in polymers and electromagnetically induced transparency

·   Self-assembly and x-ray crystallography of metal-organic polymers

·   Synthesis and characterization of high-temperature resins and polymeric adhesives

·   Processing and mechanical properties of high-performance meta-materials & nano composites

·   Photochemistry of organic & inorganic polymers

·   Resin curing monitoring and mechanisms

·   Synthesis and characterization of liquid crystalline polymers

·   Structural health monitoring & flaw detection

·   Radiation effects in polymers & nano materials

·   Solid state NMR of ferroelectric ceramics

·   Ion transport in solid state battery materials

·   Structure & dynamics of advanced dielectrics

·   Motion of macromolecular inclusion complexes

·   Cold cathode carbon nanosheet field emission

·   Magnetic nano-composite thin film sensors

·   Highly anisotropic nano-magnets and plasmonic/magneto-plasmonic materials

·   Nanocomposite materials fabrication and characterization

·   Fragmentation mechanisms of bio-polymers

·   Molecular Self-Assembly

·   Bio-Inspired + Graphene-Based Nanomaterials  

·   Physical Properties of Biomacromolecules  

·   Scanning Probe + Optical Microscopy  

 

Thesis research in polymers, composites and nano materials can be conducted in many of the state-of-the-art laboratories at William and Mary, DoE’s Jefferson Lab (JLab) and/or NASA's Langley Research Center (LaRC). William Barton Rogers Hall (named for former W&M professor and founder of MIT) is home to the Chemistry Department. Additional research labs are located in McGlothlin-Street Hall, opened in 1995, and the Applied Research Center, opened in 1998. Construction has begun on the Integrated Science Center which will house the Chemistry and Biology Departments beginning in 2008.  New clean room and laser facilities will be available soon in the expanding William Small Hall (named for Thomas Jefferson’s favorite professor).

 

Typically students studying polymers enroll in a two-semester sequence of polymer science, a polymer science laboratory, a lecture course in high-performance composites, and a special topics course in polymers. Courses are also available from related areas: Advanced Organic Chemistry, Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation I and II, Applied Mathematics I and II, Organic Spectroscopy, Solid Surfaces and Interfaces, Measurement of Materials Properties, Organic Synthesis, Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Timescales in Molecular Spectroscopy, and Measurement Methods. The coursework component of each student's curriculum is very flexible and is planned in consultation with his or her faculty advisor.

 

Faculty involved in materials research include several from the Applied Science core (Lukaszew, Luepke, Manos, Outlaw, Kelley, Schniepp, Vold) as well as affiliated faculty from the Chemistry (Kranbuehl, Orwoll, Poutsma, Thompson, Harbron, Pike) and Physics (Kossler, Zhang, Novikova, Krakauer) departments. Adjunct faculty at LaRC and JLab also do materials research with W&M students whom they co-mentor. Interested students are encouraged to contact these faculty directly to discuss their research, W&M and the graduate program.  Also check our Recent Graduates page for information about PCM alums where you’ll find links to their dissertation abstracts.