Steven Huysecom

Polymers are ubiquitous in our society and play a critical role in numerous applications, from everyday items to advanced technologies. Their broad range of properties and functions makes them incredibly valuable. However, the rational design of polymers with specific properties that can fulfil desired functions remains a challenge in polymer chemistry. Despite advances in computational models, it remains difficult to link the molecular architecture of polymer networks with macroscopic properties. This is partly due to a lack of experimental data at the molecular, nanometre, and micrometre scales, and the limited methods available to measure heterogeneous systems at these scales. To address this challenge, this proposal will develop and apply a range of microscopy-based techniques to explore molecular and network dynamics, from the molecular to the micron scale. The results obtained will be used to refine computational models and have the potential to establish a link between micro and macroscopic properties. This will advance our understanding of how the molecular architecture of a polymer network is linked to mechanical properties, and in turn, inform the rational design of new polymers for advanced applications.