Advanced polymeric materials

Polymers are a ubiquitous part of our everyday life. Advances in polymer synthesis, processing and engineering have led to new applications exploiting the unique properties of polymers to realise advanced technologies far removed from their initial application.

Building on a review of the fundamentals of polymer science, this unit will explore the use of polymers in a range of novel applications from biomedical applications to optoelectronic devices. Different classes of polymers will be discussed including conjugated polymers, block co-polymers and biopolymers with a view to linking the physical properties of the polymer chain to the functionality of the technological application.