Value added monomers and polymers from renewable sources

Enormous research and commercial activities on utilization of bio-based materials to replace petroleum-based chemicals are currently taking place around world, aiming at the reduction of pollution and global warming. Among them, L-Cysteine which contains a thiol (-SH), amino (-NH2) group and carboxylic acid (-COOH) group. It is considered to be a unique building block for construction of a variety of functional compounds and polymers. Therefore, a series of high molecular weight polymers from L-cysteine based diketopiperazine (DKP) have been synthesized through simple and clean processes. The project intends to explore the potential application of these polymers as biocompatible materials using advanced spectroscopic instrument and testing equipment. Moreover, different star-structure compounds with L-cysteine end-group have been prepared and will be fully characterized. Their desirable usage as green surfactants would be explored by all means such as surface tension measurements and morphological study.

Faculty Supervisor:

Zhiyuan Wang

Student:

Di Zhang

Partner:

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

University:

Carleton University

Program:

Globalink Research Award