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CIRCULAR PLASTICS
core RESEARCH programme: CIRCULAR PLASTICS
We need to move away from our reliance on fossil-based plastics and towards a circular economy. Our vision of sustainable plastics involves creating materials derived from renewable feedstocks and with multiple closed-loop life cycles such as mechanical and chemical recycling or biodegradation.
As part of this research programme, we work with the plastic industry to identify current capability gaps in the properties and environmental impacts of these materials – specifically for biobased, recyclable and degradable materials. We seek to understand how to fill these gaps by, for example, exploring and exploiting structure-property relationships and new sustainable composite materials.
PROGRAMME LEADS & Research Team
Antoine's research focusses on the discovery of novel chemical transformations and use in catalysis of renewable resources, in particular for the synthesis of sustainable polymers.
Programme Lead (Bath)
Clive's research investigates the behaviour of materials and structures when subjected to impact loading. Most materials behave very differently when deformed at high speeds. His work aims to understand the microscopic causes of rate dependence, with a view to better design and use of materials.
Programme Lead (Oxford)
Ryan is an iCAST core postdoctoral researcher based in Oxford. His expertise lies in oxygenated polymer synthesis, enantioselective catalysis and small molecule activation.
Core Researcher (Oxford)
Daria has experience in supramolecular chemistry, organic synthesis, and enantioselective organocatalysis. As one of iCAST’s core postdoctoral researchers based in Oxford, she will work on investigating new catalytic systems for the efficient and sustainable synthesis of organic compounds.
Core Researcher (Oxford)
Anna has experience in reversible deactivation radical polymerization techniques, conjugated polymers and polymer brushes grafted from the surface. As a Core Researcher, she will be focused on developing sustainable resins.
Core Researcher (Bath)
Aaron's expertise is in materials characterisation, with a particular focus on polymers and biological tissues such as skin or brain tissue. He has extensive experience of developing novel test apparatus and analysis methods, especially on image based metrology and the Virtual Fields Method (VFM).
Aaron
Graham
Core Researcher (Oxford)
key publications
- Bio‐derived and degradable block polyester pressure‐sensitive adhesives. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2020, 59, 23450–2345 (Williams)
- Understanding metal synergy in heterodinuclear catalysts for the copolymerization of CO2 and epoxides. Nat. Chem., 2020, 12, 372–380 (Williams)
- Xylose-based polyethers and polyesters via ADMET polymerization toward polyethylene-like materials. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater., 2021, 3, 5870–5881 (Buchard)
- Control of crystallinity and stereocomplexation of synthetic carbohydrate polymers from D‐ and L‐Xylose. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 4524–4528 (Buchard)
- Online tracing of molecular weight evolution during radical polymerization via high-resolution FlowNMR spectroscopy. Polym. Chem., 2020, 11, 3546–3550 (Davidson, Hintermair)
- Poly(lactic acid) Degradation into Methyl Lactate Catalyzed by a Well-Defined Zn(II) Complex. ACS Catal., 2019, 9, 409–416 (Jones)
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