Polymeric materials are ubiquitous because of their versatility, yet rational control of their material properties remains elusive. Our research provides a unified view of molecular design, processing dynamics and structure formation that is needed to achieve targeted performance. We design and synthesize macromolecules guided by insight into their physics: phase behavior, rheology and diffusion. We observe how they move in complex systems and we harness their dynamics to control the rate and type of structures they form---critical to determining their macroscopic properties.

Our research bears mainly on three technological areas: