POSTPONED: Scott M. Grayson

In regards to macromolecular architectures there are a few things that are complicated even today.  For example, a linear polymer is very ease to formulate, but a cyclic structure seems much more complicated.  We have made use linear polymers, but we decided to have one alkyne on the front end, and one azide on the back end   Click conjugation can connect these two end groups to make them cyclic, but there are a number of complicated as far as making sure you have nearly quantitative cyclization. Another thing we realized was useful is having a monodisperse macromolecule rather than a polydisperse macromolecule.  For example, if you decide to calibrate a mass spectrometer, it makes sense to have one peak which actually has your exact molecular weight, rather than multiple peaks that are +/- a particular repeat unit. This of course requires an exceptional synthesis, but have found a few dendrimers which you can get upwards of 10,000 mass units, yet having a monodisperse mass.

Scott M. Grayson completed his PhD in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley under Jean M. J. Fréchet and carried out his post-doctoral studies in the laboratories of C. Grant Willson at the University of Texas. He was appointed as a professor at the Department of Chemistry at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA in 2005.  He now holds the Joseph H. Boyer Professorship of Chemistry at Tulane where he explores the synthesis and applications of well-defined, yet complex macromolecular structures.  His research group has recently focused on the synthesis of amphiphilic and cyclic polymers for applications including transdermal drug delivery and gene therapies, but also focuses on new techniques for polymer characterization.  He was the 2018-2019 Fulbright Fellow to the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm investigating monodisperse polymers as mass spectrometry calibrants.

• Time: 11:00 AM
• Location: 206 Furnas Hall
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