Jean Duhamel

• Characterization of macromolecules by fluorescence
• Colloidal particles
• Chain folding using fluorescence

Jean Duhamel and his research team are characterizing the behavior of polymers in solution using a variety of techniques. Among those techniques, fluorescence and particularly pyrene excimer fluorescence (PEF) is certainly the workhorse of their research. Most polymers are synthesized and fluorescently labeled in the laboratory. The research projects aim at modeling the internal dynamics in solution of a variety of polymeric backbones ranging from vinyl polymers to polyolefins and including polypeptides using fluorescence decay measurements. The applications of these techniques to retrieve structural information about polypeptides as random coils and helices are also being investigated.

Solutions of associative polymers have peculiar viscoelastic properties which have found applications in the oil and paint industries. The origin of these properties is rooted in the level of association of water- and oil-soluble associative polymers which can be determined by fluorescence. Several projects apply PEF to answer these questions.

Specific applications: Application of fluorescence techniques to characterize chain folding, the associative strength of water- and oil-soluble associative polymers, the interactions between gemini surfactants and DNA, or the associations between associative polymers and colloidal particles.

Jean Duhamel teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses. Course offerings have included topics in polymer science, thermodynamics, fluorescence and macromolecular science.

Recent publications include

• Quantifying the Level of Intermacromolecular Interactions in Ethylene-Propylene Copolymers by Using Pyrene Excimer Formation. Pirouz, S.; Duhamel*, J.; Jiang, S.; Duggal, A. Macromolecules 2015, 48, 4620-4630.
• DiPyMe in SDS Micelles – Artefacts and their Implications on Micellar Properties. Fowler, M.; Hisko, V.; Henderson, J.; Casier, R.; Li, L.; Thoma, J.; Duhamel*, J. Langmuir 2015, 31, 11971-11981.
• A Pyrenyl Derivative with a Four Atom-Linker that Can Probe the Local Polarity of Pyrene-Labeled Macromolecules. Farhangi, S.; Duhamel, J. J. Phys. Chem. B 2016, 120, 834-842.
• Probing Side Chain Dynamics of Branched Macromolecules by Pyrene Excimer Fluorescence. Farhangi, S.; Duhamel, J. Macromolecules 2016, 49, 353-361.
• Long Range Polymer Chain Dynamics Studied by Fluorescence Quenching. Farhangi, S.; Duhamel, J. Invited Perspective to Macromolecules (Journal Cover; accepted) 2016.
• Membrane Binding and Oligomer Formation by the Calcium-Dependent Lipopeptide Antibiotic A54145: A Quantitative Study with Pyrene Excimer Fluorescence. Zhang, T. H.; Taylor, S.; Palmer, M. Duhamel, J. accepted to Biophysical J. 2016.

• Outstanding Performance Award, 2013
• Renewed Tier-2 Canada Research Chair, 2007-2011   
• Tier-2 Canada Research Chair, 2002-2006

• Premier Research Excellence Award, 2002-2006

• Director of the Institute for Polymer Research
• Member of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology

• Organizer and Chair of an MSED symposium at the 2010 CSC conference in Toronto.  

• Senator, 2008-09    

• Canadian Coordinator of the Trans-Atlantic Science Student Exchange Program for the E.U.-Canada consortium at the University of Waterloo, 2002-09    

• Chair of the Committee (Physical Sciences) for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Selection, 2009         

• Invited Editor for the Can. J. Chem. special issue in honour of Prof. Mitchell A. Winnik, 2009         

The following news stories have featured Jean Duhamel's research:

• March 1, 2016:  Waterloo researchers awarded $3.9 million to partner with industry
• March 13, 2014:  EcoSynthetix and WIN partnering to develop and commercialize bio-based latex material