The Boydston Research Group is a diverse and highly collaborative team that engages in interdisciplinary research to develop functional materials at multiple length scales. We specialize in synthetic polymer chemistry, photoredox catalysis, polymer mechanochemistry, and additive manufacturing (3D printing). Some of our main goals include discovery and development of new polymerization methods, design and evaluation of mechanophores that can trigger the release of small molecules, and establishing complete chemical control over every voxel within 3D printed multimaterial systems. Collectively, we think about chemical processes and structure-function relationships from molecular-scale up through systems integration.
Research Overview
Metal Free Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (MF-ROMP)
Photoredox ROMP provides one of the few metal-free routes to access the high-value polymers synthesized via metathesis polymerizations. We use physical-organic principles to understand, optimize, and expand the functionality of photoredox ROMP.
Additive Manufacturing (AM)
The additive manufacturing subgroup leverages chemical synthesis, engineering, modeling, and materials design to create new capabilities in 3D printing.
Functional and Responsive Materials (FARM)
Functional and responsive materials are polymer systems that produce desirable chemical outcomes in response to compatible stimuli. We design polymers targeting practical applications such as catalysis, force-sensing, and reprocessable materials.
Recent News
Congrats to Jerry and Kyle on their most recent paper in Additive Manufacturing!
Congrats to Jerry and Kyle on their most recent paper in Additive Manufacturing! This work reports on the design, testing, and application of an open-source powder material extrusion 3D printer.
February 5, 2024Congrats to Dr. Rigoglioso on earning his PhD!
Congrats to Dr. Vincent Rigoglioso on defending his PhD dissertation, “Assessing and Optimizing the Performance of Photoredox-Mediated Metal-Free Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization in Batch and Flow Reactors!” We are very proud of you and will miss …
January 30, 2024Welcome to our new undergrad researcher, Hayoung!
We are very excited to have you in our group!
January 29, 2024Congrats to Brittany on passing her RP!
Congrats Brittany for passing her research proposal (RP) about “Evaluating Efficacy of Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity with Tröger’s Base Linkages on Dye Adsorption in Aqueous Systems”! We are excited to see what you will do …
January 18, 2024Congrats to Sean and Ruojia on their most recent publication in ACS Macro Letters!
Congrats to Sean and Ruojia for publishing their most recent publication in ACS Macro Letters! This work reports on metal-free ring-opening metathesis polymerization of active esters and divergent postpolymerization modification.
January 16, 2024- Read More News