Elizabeth R. Gillies
Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, Canada, N6A 5B7
ABSTRACT: Degradable polymers are of growing interest for many areas, including biomedical applications, smart materials and devices, and to address the challenges associated with plastics pollution. Significant progress has been made using backbones such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and a growing number of bio-based polymers. However, in some cases it is desirable to be able to control precisely when and where polymers degrade. Self-immolative polymers are a growing class of degradable polymers that undergo controlled end-to-end depolymerization following a stimulus-mediated backbone or end-cap cleavage (Fig.1). This presentation will describe the chemical foundations of self-immolative polymers including elimination-based spacers and low ceiling temperature polymers, followed by the rational design of different backbones and end-caps. Their incorporation into block copolymers and hydrogel networks will also be explored. Finally, the presentation will then cover examples of how these polymers can be applied in areas such as monomer recycling, drug delivery, and medical imaging.
Figure 1. Schematic of a self-immolative polymer.
Elizabeth R. Gillies
Title: Professor
Affiliation, Country: The University of Western Ontario, Canada
Phone: +1 519-661-2111
Fax: +1 519-661-3022
E-mail: egillie@uwo.ca
Personal History:
2004 PhD, University of California, Berkeley
2004-2006 Marie Curie Postdoc, University of Bordeaux
Since 2006 University of Western Ontario
Research interests: self-immolative, degradable, biomedical applications of polymers