Jonathan Barnes, assistant professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, won a $450,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to investigate and expand efficient methods for synthesizing catenane-based polymers and networked materials.
Catenanes are mechanically interlocked molecules consisting of two or more rings, which allows them - and the material in which they're incorporated - enough freedom of movement to do things like rotate, stretch and compress when subjected to external forces.
Catenanes' unique interlocking ring structure may allow chemists to use them in creating next-generation materials unlike those achievable with traditional polymers.
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