Congrats to Brittany for presenting her work, “Alternative Solvents for Metal-Free Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization” at the National Graduate Research Polymer Conference at Arizona State University. Thanks to Alexis and Ryan, our undergrads, for contributing to …
Congrats to Julia for her contribution to “Advances in vat photopolymerization: early-career researchers shine light on a path forward”!
Julia recently contributed to a perspective article titled, “Advances in vat photopolymerization: early-career researchers shine light on a path forward”! Abstract: Vat photopolymerization (VP) has emerged as a promising additive manufacturing technique to allow rapid …
Congrats to Sarah for passing her RP!
Congrats to Sarah for passing her RP! She is now a PhD candidate. We are very excited to see what she will do next!
3 Postdoctoral Research Positions Open in the Boydston Group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Our research team has 3 postdoctoral research positions open. One is in the area of photoredox-mediated metal-free ring-opening metathesis polymerization (MF-ROMP), and two are in the area of vat-based multimaterial actinic spatial control (MASC) additive …
Congrats to Brittany for winning an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for Undergraduate Research!
Congrats to Brittany for winning an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for Undergraduate Research. She supported the department’s undergraduate research program while the director position was vacant, including organizing the departmental poster session at the end …
Congrats to Brittany for winning a PPG Travel Grant Award!
Congrats to Brittany for being one of the winners of the PPG travel grant to attend and present at an upcoming scientific conference. She secured $2500 in sponsored travel awards by submitting a “elevator pitch” …
Congrats to Harshal on winning first place for the TA Ragatz Awards!
Congrats to Harshal on being awarded first place for the TA Ragatz award. Awardees were selected by undergraduate students who received mentorship and teaching from these graduate students.
Opportunity for Undergraduate Research Starting July 2024
The Boydston group has an opportunity available for 1 undergraduate research assistant for polymer synthesis and scale up, starting July 2024. Research Topic/Tasks: Opportunity for an undergraduate student to do polymer synthesis and scale-up. We …
Creation of three-dimensional composite architectures via high-intensity focused ultrasound inside of foams
Free-form creation of 3-dimensional (3D) structures, such as in additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing (3DP), typically requires a direct line-of-sight or physical contact between an energy source and a build material. By stepping away from this equipment paradigm, we discovered a method to achieve 3D composites inside of opaque, open-cell foams that enables unprecedented access to bicontinuous, interlocked composite structures. We found that high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) provided efficient, localized heating at a focal point that could be spatially controlled within a foam matrix. Foam specimens were infused with thermally curable acrylate resin formulations, which enabled free-form creation of 3D structures as the HIFU focal point was moved throughout the interior of the foam. The 3D structure was created entirely based upon the toolpath, without any build plate or inherently sequenced layer-by-layer processes. Since the foam and cured resin were mechanically interlocked in the process, HIFU curing achieves bicontinuous composites seemingly independent of surface compatibilities between the foam and resin. Starting with commercially available polyurethane foams, we investigated combinations with different resin systems to achieve a range of mechanical properties from the final composite structures. For example, using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) resulted in stiff, hard composite domains within the foam, whereas resins comprising 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) led to soft, elastomeric composite structures. Multimaterial composites were also achieved, simply by displacing uncured resin from the foam and exchanging it with a different resin formulation. Control over the shape and orientation of internal structural features within the foam scaffolds also enabled controllable anisotropic mechanical responses from the composites.
Congrats to Daria on receiving the Hilldale Fellowship and the Undergraduate Research Conference Travel Award!
Congrats Daria on receiving the Hilldale Fellowship and the Undergraduate Research Conference Travel Award! Daria will receive a $3000 scholarship for her undergraduate research work and up to $400 to present her work at the …