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Michael Tam

Professor, Chemical Engineering; University Research Chair

Research interests: sustainable nanomaterials, nano-structured systems for drug/pesticide delivery; polymer-surfactant interactions; magnetic nanoparticles for novel separation processes; functional cellulose nanomaterials for agriculture, biomedical, environmental and personal and homecare applications

Biography

My research focuses on the development of functional sustainable nanomaterials (SN) (cellulose nanocrystals, nano-starch, etc) for various advanced engineering applications. Additionally, nano-hybrids consisting of SN and well-defined block copolymers and responsive microgels are produced and utilized as smart delivery vehicles and separation media for agriculture and biomedical systems. My group seeks to advance the application of carbon neutral nanomaterials that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases, such as CO2.

It contains three key parts, (a) controlled polymer synthesis using green chemistry, (b) physical characterization of functional cellulose nanocrystals and microgels, (c) applications in controlled delivery vehicles and purification processes.

The scope of his research includes polymer synthesis using Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP), physical characterization using light scattering (static and dynamic), rheometry, and calorimetry (Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The objective is to advance the development of novel sustainable nanomaterials by correlating the polymer architecture to the microscopic and macroscopic properties of the nano-hybrid systems.

Professor Michael K.C. Tam studied Chemical Engineering at Monash University, Australia, and graduated with a PhD in 1991. He then spent 18 months on a postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Bob Pelton at the Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Canada. In 1992, he took up an academic position at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and was promoted to full professor in 2004. He moved to the University of Waterloo in July 2007. He was appointed an associate editor of one of the American Chemical Society journals (ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering) on September 2015. His Google Scholar citation exceeds 16,300 with a H-Index of 65.

Education

PhD, Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Australia, 1991
BEng, Monash University, Australia

Michael Tam

Research

Research interests

Sustainable nanomaterials
Nano-structured systems for drug/pesticide delivery
Polymer-surfactant interactions
Magnetic nanoparticles for novel separation processes
Functional cellulose nanomaterials for agriculture, biomedical, environmental and personal and homecare applications

Publications

Recent publications include:

Peng, B.L., Grishkewich N., Yao, Z.L., Han, X., Z.L.Liu, H.L., Tam, K.C., Self-Assembly Behavior of Thermo-responsive Oligo(ethylene glycol) Methacrylates Random Copolymer, ACS Macro Letters., (2012), 1, 632-635.
Yao Z.L., Tam, K.C., Temperature induced micellization and aggregation of biocompatible poly (oligo(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate) block copolymer analogues in aqueous solutions, Polymer (In Press-2012).
Yuen, F., Tam, K.C., alpha-Cyclodextrin Assisted Self-Assembly of Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) in Aqueous Media,Journal of Applied Polymer Science (In Press-2012).
Tan,B.H.,Tan, J.PK.., Tam, K.C., pH-Responsive Nanogels: Synthesis and Physical Properties, in Hydrogel Micro and Nanoparticles, p. 81-115, Eds. Lyon, L.A., Serpe, M.J., Wiley-VCH, 2012.
Dhar, N., Akhlaghi, S.P., Tam, K.C., Biodegrable and biocompatible polyampholyte microgels derived from chitosan, carboxymethyl cellulose and modified methyl cellulose, Carbohydrate Polymers (2012), 87, 101-109.
Yao Z.L., Tam, K.C., Stimuli-responsive Water-soluble Fullerene (C60) Polymeric Systems, Macromolecular Rapid Communications (2011), 32, 1863-1885.
Peng, B. L., Dhar, N., Liu, H. L., Tam, K. C., Chemistry and applications of nanocrystalline cellulose and its derivatives: A nanotechnology perspective, Canadian J. Chem. Eng., (2011), 89, 191-1206.
Moreno-Bautista, G., Tam, K.C., Evaluation of dialysis membrane process for quantifying the in vitro drug-release from colloidal drug carriers, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, (2011), 389, 299-303.
Yao Z.L., Tam, K.C., Self-assembly of thermo-responsive poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-C60 in water-methanol mixtures, Polymer, (2011), 52, 3769-3775.
Leung M. H., Ng, V., Ho Y.K., Zhou L., Too, H.P., Tam K.C, Self-Assembly of Poly(L-glutamate)-b-poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) in Aqueous Solutions, Australian Journal of Chemistry (2011), 64, 1245-1253.
Lim A.H., Tam K.C., Stabilization of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers/sodium dodecyl sulfate complexes via PEGylation, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, (2011), 380, 47-52.
Tam K.C., Gu F., Special Series of Articles on Nanotechnology, Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering (2011), 89 (1), 1-1.
Yao Z.L., Tam, K.C., Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Stimuli-Responsive Poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate)-block-fullerene (PDMAEMA-b-C-60) and the Demicellization Induced by Free PDMAEMA Chains, Langmuir (2011), 27 (11), 6668-6673.
Khouri, S., Tam, K.C., Complexation between alpha-Cyclodextrin and PEGylated-PAMAM Dendrimers at Low and High pH Values, Langmuir, (2010), 26, 17969-17974.
Yuen, F., Tam K.C., Cyclodextrin-Assisted Assembly of Stimuli-Responsive Polymers in Aqueous Media, Soft Matter (2010), 6, 4613-4630. Top Ten Articles in Soft Matter (September 2010)

Tan B.H., Pelton R.H., Tam K.C., Microstructure and Rheological Properties of Thermo-Responsive Poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) Microgels, Polymer (2010), 51, 3238-3243.
Wang, C., Wyn-Jones E., Tam, K.C., Complexation between Amine- and hydroxyl-terminated PAMAM Dendrimers and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, (2010), 364, 49-54.
Lee E.S.M., Shuter B., Chan J., Chong M.S.K., Ding J., Teoh S.H., Beuf O., Briguet A., Tam K.C., Choolani M., Wang S.C., The use of microgel iron oxide nanoparticles in studies of magnetic resonance relaxation and endothelial progenitor cell labeling, Biomaterials (2010), 31 (12), 3296-3306.
Tan B.H., Tam K.C., Dupin D., Armes S.P., Rheological Behavior of Acid-Swellable Cationic Copolymer Latexes, Langmuir (2010), 26 (4), 2736-2744.
He, E.; Yue, C. Y.; Tam, K. C., Binding and Release Studies of a Cationic Drug from a Star-Shaped Four-arm Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methacrylic acid), Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2010), 99 (2), 782-793.
Wang, Q.Q., Tam, K.C., Polarization Interferometric Analysis on the Interaction between Fullerene Grafted-Polymer and Nonionic Surfactants, Langmuir,(2009), 25(17), 9898-9902.
Lee, S.M.; Chan, J.; Shuter, B.; Tan, L.G.; Chong, S.K.; Ramachandra, D.L.; Dawe, G.; Ding, J.; Teoh, S.H.; Beuf, O.; Briguet, A.; Tam, K.C.; Choolani, M.; Wang, S.H. Microgel Iron Oxide Nanoparticles For Tracking Human Fetal Mesenchymal Stem Cells Through Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Stem Cell (2009), 27(8), 1921-1931.
He, E.; Yue, C. Y.; Fritz, F.; Zhou, L. H.; Too, H. P.; Tam, K. C., Polyplex formation between four-arm poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) and plasmid DNA in gene delivery , Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part A ((2009), 91A(3), 708-718 .
Dai, S., Ravi, P., Tam, K.C., Thermo- and Photo-responsive Polymeric Systems, Soft Matter, (2009), 5, 2513-2533.
He, E.; Yue, C. Y.; Tam, K. C., Association Behavior of Star-shaped pH-Responsive Block Copolymer: Four-arm Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methacrylic acid) in Aqueous Medium, Langmuir (2009), 25, 4892-4899.
Sondjaja, R.; Hatton, T. A.; Tam, K.C., Clustering of Magnetic Nanoparticle Using a Double Hydrophilic Block Copolymer, Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(acrylic acid), Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials (2009) , 321, 2393–2397.
Liao, D.S., Dai, S., Tam, K.C., Influence of Anionic Surfactant on the Rheological Properties of Hydrophobically Modified Polyethylene-oxide/Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes, Journal of Rheology (2009), 53, 293-308.
Xiong, X.Y., Li, Z., Tam, K.C., Li, Y., Leng, J.Q., Chen, H.Q., Wang, Y., Comparison Between the Self-Assembling Behaviors of PLLA-PEO-PLLA Triblock Copolymers and PLLA-PEO-PPO-PEO-PLLA Pentablock Copolymers, Journal of Applied Polymer Science (2009), 111, 2445-2451.
Sinaga, A.; Hatton, T. A.; Tam, K.C., Thermodynamics of Micellization of Beta-sheet Forming Poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(l-valine) Hybrids, Journal of Physical Chemistry B (2008), 112, 11542-11550.
Sondjaja, R.; Hatton, T. A.; Tam, Tam, K.C.*, Self-assembly of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(acrylic acid) induced by CaCl2: Mechanistic study” Langmuir (2008) , 24 (16), 8501–8506 .
Ho, B.S.; Tan, B.H.; Tan, J.P.K.; Tam, K.C.*, Inverse Microemulsion Polymerization of sterically stabilized polyampholyte microgels, Langmuir (2008), 24 (15), 7698–7703 .
Tan, J.P.K.; Wang, Q.; Tam, K.C.*, Control of Burst Release from Nanogels via the Layer by Layer Assembly Approach, Journal of Controlled Release (2008), 128, 248-254.
Tan, J.P.K.; Zeng, A.Q.F; Chang, C.C.; Tam, K.C.*, Release Kinetics of Procaine Hydrochloride (PrHy) from pH-responsive Nanogels: Theory and Experiments, International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2008), 357, 305-313.
Li, Y., Tjandra, W., Tam, K.C.*, Synthesis and characterization of nanoporous hydroxyapatite using cationic surfactants as templates, Materials Research Bulletin (2008), 43, 2318-2326.
Liu, S.Q., Joshi, S.C.*, Lam, Y.C., Tam, K. C., Thermoreversible gelation of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose in simulated body fluids, Carbohydrate Polymers (2008), 72, 133-143.
Dai, S., Ravi, P., Tam, K.C.*, pH-Responsive Polymers: Synthesis, Properties and Applications, Soft Matter (Review article), (2008), 4, 435-449.
Tan, B.H., Tam, K.C.*, Review on the Dynamics and Microstructure of pH-Responsive Nano-Colloidal System, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science (Review article), (2008), 136, 25-44.