Project description
Organic polysulfide polymers are useful materials with emerging high-value applications as cathode components for Li−S batteries,1 optics for infrared imaging,2 sorbents for heavy metal remediation,3 and novel antimicrobial agents.4 Despite the increasing use of these sulfur-rich polymers, there are limited methods to synthesize them with control of the structure and molecular weight. Light is a versatile and sustainable stimulus that has influenced chemical synthesis for over 150 years.5 In synthetic photochemistry, photons are typically delivered continuously throughout the course of the reaction with a large excess of photons being delivered.6 While this approach is useful in many cases, it can be problematic for reversible photochemical reactions or when intermediates and products are susceptible to photodegradation.7 The delivery of photons in a spatially and/or temporally controlled manner offers a potential solution to these problems.8 In this way, reactions can be photoinitiated under brief illumination and their products are then largely protected from photodegradation. The development of continuous flow photopolymerizations has been one approach to impart spatial control over irradiation.9 Likewise, the use of pulsed-laser methods for studying the kinetics and mechanisms of radical polymerization is illustrative of the importance of time-resolved delivery of photons to a reaction.10 In this project, we will draw upon these concepts to demonstrate the benefits of spatial and temporal control of irradiation in photopolymerizations to produce sulfur-rich polymers. Specifically, we will use a photochemical flow reactor and/or pulsed LED irradiation in batch reactions to produce these polymers.
Further information
Making and Unmaking Poly(trisulfides) with Light: Precise Regulation of Radical Concentrations via Pulsed LED Irradiation. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2025, 147 (50), 46243-46258. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c15051.
Assumed knowledge
General chemistry, Organic/ inorganic/ polymer chemistry
Industry involvement
These types of sulfur polymers have been used as a gold sorbent for electronic waste recycling. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01586-w
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