News

The Institute for Polymer Research (IPR) held their annual Symposium event April 30^th and May 1^st.  Over 75 students, industry members and academic members enjoyed over 30 scientific presentations during the two days. 

The first day was marked by a robust schedule of presentations and discussions, highlighting the latest advancements in polymer science and its interdisciplinary applications. Attendees were treated to two keynote addresses. The first one was by Dr. Nicholas Lanigan from DAVWIRE, who shared his expertise on the “Formulation of Photocurable Resins for the Fabrication of Ferroelectrets.” The second one by Professor Megan Roberts of the University of Western discussed the topic of “Nanocellulose for Precision Applications: Combatting Challenges Using Intentional Surface Chemistry Design.” Many students took the opportunity to speak with both Keynote speakers after their talks to learn more and make suggestions about these interesting research topics.

We celebrated the two winners of the 2024 IPR Award of Excellence in Polymer science/Engineering. Both students gave a 20-minute presentation on their current research.   Negin Bouzari from Professor Shahsavan’s lab shared her research on “Novel Small-Scale Robots for Medical Applications”.  Yonglin Wang from Professor Li lab discussed the “Development of High-Performance Organic Cathode Materials Based on Coordination Polymers for Lithium-Ion Batteries”

Day two shifted focus to the academic core of the IPR itself, with a full schedule of presentations delivered by faculty and researchers from within the Institute. Professor Simon shared his research on industrial hemp with his presentation entitled “Industrial Hemp and Development of Sustainable Materials”.  Professor Xianshe Feng presented his research on “Mass Transfer in Pervaporation, perstraction and Sorption- A Unified Approach”.  Finally, Professor Tizazu Mekonnen shared his views on “Engineered Polysaccharides and the Modification of Polysaccharides and Poly(lactic acid) for Sustainable Multiphase Polymer Development.” These presentations were followed by a robust Q&A session leading to interesting discussions.

IPR Director Professor Jean Duhamel praised the symposium’s success, stating, that “this year’s turnout and the quality of research presented reflect the growing impact of polymer science in solving some of the most pressing challenges faced by society, particularly regarding the plastic waste crisis. We’re proud to foster a community where academic excellence and industry relevance go hand in hand.”

Plans are already underway for the 2026 gathering, with organizers aiming to expand participation and deepen engagement across scientific and industrial communities.

The 2025 IPR Symposium not only showcased innovation but also reaffirmed the importance of building bridges—between disciplines, between theory and practice, and between people from industry and academia committed to shaping the future through science.

2025 IPR Symposium ( Schedule)

Professor Boxin Zhao , member of the IPR, is this year's recipient of the  Ontario Professional Engineering Association (OPEA) Research and Development Engineering Medal.  For more details please refer to article here.

IPR member, Professor Tizazu Mekonnen, was awarded the NOVA Chemicals sponsored Macromolecular Science and Engineering Division (MSED)  Early Career Instigator Award. 

This honour is bestowed upon researchers who have made substantial contributions to the polymer industry, aligning perfectly with Mekonnen's disruptive research in polymer engineering and sustainability.

Full article can be found here. 

The Institute of Polymer Research is excited to announce the upcoming Distinguished Lecture by Timothy M. Swager.  Timothy is the John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A native of Montana, he received a BS from Montana State University in 1983 and a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in 1988.  After a postdoctoral appointment at MIT he joined University of Pennsylvania 1990-1996 and returned to MIT in 1996 as a Professor of Chemistry and served as the Head of Chemistry from 2005-2010.  He has published more than 500 peer-reviewed papers and more than 120 issued/pending patents. Swager’s honors include: Election to the National Academy of Sciences, an Honorary Doctorate from Montana State University, National Academy of Inventors Fellow, The Pauling Medal, The Lemelson-MIT Award for Invention and Innovation, and Election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His research interests are in design, synthesis, and study of organic-based electronic, sensory, energy storage, membranes, liquid crystals, and colloids.  He has founded five companies (DyNuPol, Iptyx, PolyJoule, C­₂ Sense and Xibus Systems).

He will be giving a presentation on Wednesday, October 25 at 11am in QNC 0101.

Intrinsically porous organic polymers in sensing and catalysis. 

Some years ago we introduced the concept of fusing rigid 3D molecular building blocks into polymer backbones as a mechanism to create space between polymers. The first systems were conjugated poly(phenylene ethynylene)s with pentiptycene groups, which displayed robust emissive properties in thin films. These systems demonstrated size exclusion properties, amplified sensory responses as a result of excitonic transport, and led to the commercialization of the Fido^TM explosives detectors, which 20 years after their introduction remain the most sensitive portable explosives sensors produced. The critical design principle that the 3D group must be fused within the polymer rather than simply be pendant has become a robust design principle and is fundamental to the design intrinsically porous organic polymers. We have a continuing interest in intrinsically porous polymeric materials, and I will detail our most recent emissive sensors for perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that make use of excitonic transport to create high (ppt) sensitivity. Excitonic transport and the semiconducting properties of these materials need not be limited to sensing applications, and I will detail our demonstrations of the extension to photoredox catalysis. The combination of excitonic and charge (electrons or holes) transport is demonstrated to provide enhanced rates and higher efficiency in these processes.  Catalytic porous organic polymers represent a new approach to heterogenous catalysis; therein the molecular environment can be tailored to meet or exceed the selectivity and activity of homogenous systems. Moreover, they enable the formation of durable catalysis coatings on the surfaces of impellers, glassware, magnetic particles, or tubing for recycling and use in flow reactors.  In addition to photoredox, methods, I will briefly introduce catalytic polymers containing palladium that allow for high activities (>200,000 turnovers/metal center).

The global community confronts a critical challenge of depleting freshwater resources. With the world population continuing to surge at an alarming pace, the demand for clean water is escalating, underscoring the urgent necessity for innovative, sustainable solutions.

In response to this predicament, Professor Michael Tam, a member of the IPR,  has conceived pioneering mechanisms for extracting water vapor from the atmosphere. Guided by a commitment to sustainable technology, Tam employs net-zero carbon materials, including natural and plant-based substances. Through the fusion of interfacial science and nanotechnology, Tam is shaping technologies that capture and repel water droplets.

Holding the distinguished position of University Research Chair, Tam has drawn inspiration from spiders, beetles, and mushrooms to devise these advancements.

Tam, a member of the IPR states "Drawing from these inspirations, we have engineered technology utilizing natural elements capable of water capture. Remarkably, our research has revealed that capturing just one square meter of surface yields an impressive five liters of water per hour."

Read the full story.

We are pleased to announce we will be hosting the 2023 IPR Symposium in person, in E7 in 7303-7363. (For information of where to park please see map). 

It will also be offered online for those who are unable to attend in person.(link will be provided closer to the date)

Our industrial speaker this year is Dr. Jason Dockendorff, a former student, who is now working for 3M.  Our academic speaker is a former member of the IPR, Mario Gauthier.  

We have an exciting line up of student presenters. Our book of abstracts can be access via this link. Click here for the schedule.

To register for this event and for more information please contact Colleen Mechler (cmechler@uwaterloo.ca) or Jean Duhamel (jduhamel@uwaterloo.ca)

CONGRATULATIONS to PROFESSOR and IPR DIRECTOR JEAN DUHAMEL

Congratulations go to Professor and IPR Director, Jean Duhamel, for receiving the 2021 Macromolecular Science and Engineering Division (MSED) Award of the CIC (Chemical Institute of Canada). Well deserved, Jean!

We are happy to announce  that since the IPR Symposium originally scheduled on May 6^th had to be cancelled due to Covid-19, and since we do not foresee the possibility of having large gatherings on the UW campus in the Fall term, we have decided to organize a virtual IPR Symposium in the afternoon of Wednesday, September 2^nd, 2020.

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Prof. Kenneth O’Driscoll on August 4^th, 2020. Prof. O’Driscoll had a very successful career in Chemical Engineering, but he and Prof. Alfred Rudin (1924-2011) are remembered by the IPR community as the two founders of the IPR in 1978.