Synthesis and Development of Biologically and Environmentally Stimulated Polymers
Abstract
Stimuli responsive polymers have been used for a plethora of applications. In this consolidated work, it has been used for two different applications. The first application is for drug delivery of hydrophobic therapeutics. To eliminate non-specific interactions in the body, a metabolite responsive nanoparticle that will enable more precise and specific delivery of therapeutic agents. Separately, the growing accumulation of plastics in the environment is troubling. Another stimuli responsive polymer, found in the third chapter, explores developing a photodegradable analogue to poly(ethylene), one of the most popular commodity plastics. An additional problem examined in this dissertation is water purification. The second chapter encompasses work done to develop a polymer of intrinsic microporosity for aqueous applications, specifically filtering out virus particles. Although these topics do not overlap, the main focus is on human health and interactions with the environment.