Biodegradable Polyester and Polycarbonate Copolymers and Latexes

This project aims to develop novel biodegradable polyesters and polycarbonates as a solution to invisible plastic waste and non-recyclable plastic packaging components. The work involves two projects running in parallel. The first involves new monomer synthesis and ring-opening polymerization, with a focus on developing diastereomerically pure monomers and stereoretentive polymerisations. The second involves the control of these polymerisations in complex macromolecular and physical architectures such as copolymerisations and latexes. The work will involve synthetic organic chemistry (monomer synthesis), polymer chemistry (polymer synthesis) and extensive spectroscopic and mechanical materials testing.