IMR: Acquisition of a Gel Permeation Chromatography with Multiple Detection System for Polymer Research and Education

University Of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal requests support for acquiring a gel permeation chromatography set-up with MALS, RI, and viscosity detectors for polymer materials research and education. The need for the instrumentation is based on significantly increased demand in using GPC for characterizing custom-designed polymers. This demand is evidenced by the fact that seven of the investigators listed in this proposal were hired by the University of Massachusetts within the past five years. The applications of these custom-designed polymers range from material science to biology. This instrument will also serve as a demonstration equipment for high school outreach programs targeted on science popularization. %%% This proposal requests a Gel Permeation Chromatography equipment to characterize polymeric materials. Several research groups at the University of Massachusetts are interested in the design and synthesis of polymers that are of interest in a wide variety of applications. These applications range from material science (e.g. light emitting diodes and photovoltaic materials) to biology (e.g. targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to cancer cells). On the educational side, this equipment will be used for demonstrations in a 'science popularization' outreach program that is being run by the PI and co-PIs of this proposal. ***