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Jason Bianchini
Graduate Program: Ph.D. in Chemistry
Field of Study: Green Chemistry
Academic Background: B.S. in Chemistry, Keene State College, Keene, NH
Hiking, camping, reptiles and other critters, working out, playing guitar, and wood working.
The copolymerization of vinylbenzylthymine (VBT) with styrene sulfonic acid (anionic) or benzyl amines (cationic) has
given us a water soluble polymer that when exposed to short-wave UV light will cross link, resulting in a water
insoluble polymer. Using DNA photolyase we are able to unzip the cross-linked polymers, allowing the material to be reused.
My ultimate goal is to use this technology for injection molding of three dimensional polymeric materials that are benign,
degradable, potentially reclaimable, and reusable. The problem we are facing right now is that the copolymers decompose at
higher temperatures before they melt. Our proposal is to incorporate longer hydrocarbons chains into the copolymers in an
effort to increase the non-covalent forces. With increased thermal stability, due to greater non-covalent interactions,
the end result should be a copolymer that melts before decomposing.