Supercritical CO2: A Clean, Green Reaction Medium for Novel Polymer Synthesis and Modification (2008-2011)

Polymers play a key role in everyday life. Their uses range from large consumer items to miniaturised products. Unfortunately, the creation of polymers often requires large amounts of toxic solvents. Hence, the development of clean and green processing technologies will be of considerable benefit, not only to the environment, but will also benefit processing conditions. In this project, new polymer structures will be synthesised that form unique nano-sized materials for use in the development of microelectronics, data storage or even as biodegradable vehicles for improved drug delivery. Most importantly, these new polymers will be made using supercritical CO2 a clean, environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional solvents.