Em Ambrosius, a current undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University double majoring in Applied Mathematics & Statistics and Chemistry, is apart of the AY22 PURA cohort! Their project is “Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization with Hybrid Silicon and Carbon analogs of Cyclooctene”. Working along side Dr. Rebekka Klausen and Chemistry graduate student, Sophie Melvin, Em’s research centers around “polymer networks are ubiquitous from tires to fabrics; the discovery of novel polymer network properties arises from the development of new monomers. The Klausen Lab has expertise in atomically precise polymers, including silicon and carbon-based structures. In this proposal I seek to synthesize multiple novel silicon and carbon hybrid cyclooctene analog monomers. It is expected that the replacement of carbon with silicon will improve polymer network thermodynamic properties due to the greater conformational flexibility of silicon compared to carbon. I will polymerize the novel monomers using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) methods, an unexplored technique when applied to organosilane materials. My experimental investigation will be supplemented with computational data probing the effect of ring strain and composition on the physical properties and stability of the polymers.”

Congratulations, Em!