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AvailableStudentProjectsPolymerChemistryGroupTheUniversityofQueensland,Australia

TheUniversityofQueensland
PolymerChemistryGroup

AvailableStudentProjects
TheleadresearchersinthePolymerChemistryGroupareProfAndrewWhittaker,AssocProfIdriss
Blakey,DrKrisThurechtandDrHuiPeng.Thesefourresearchershaveindependentresearchthemes
butbecauseoftheircomplementaryskillsworkinclosecollaboration.
TheGroupLeader,ProfessorWhittakerisanARCAustralianProfessorialFellowattheAustralian
InstituteforBioengineeringandNanotechnologyandtheCentreforAdvancedImaging,andholdsan
adjunctappointmentinSCMBandtheQueenslandEyeInstitute.Hisresearchinterestsincludethe
fieldsofnanotechnology,biopolymersandpolymerhydrogels,polymerdegradation,polymerdevices,
andtheapplicationofspectroscopic(especiallyNMR)methodstopolymerresearch.
ThePolymerChemistryGroupconsistsofover40researchers,withtwoacademicstaff(Andrew
WhittakerandDaveHill),ResearchFellowsandPhDandHonoursstudentsandsupportand
administrativestaff.Thegroupisveryactive,holdingweeklygroupmeetings,andencourages
studentstotraveltonationalandinternationalconferencestopresenttheirwork.Wehave
outstandinglinkswithnationalandinternationalpolymergroups.Ouraimistoprovideasupportive
andstimulatingenvironmentforthetrainingofyoungscientists.Theprojectslistedbelowareall
highlycollaborativeandweaiminalloftheprojectstoimpartdetailedknowledgeofimportant
chemicalsystems,andtrainthestudentinmodernanalyticaltechniques.
POLYMERSFORTISSUEENGINEERING
Project1:NanofunctionalSurfacesforControloftheBiologicalInterface

Biomaterialssupport,repairorprotectthehumanbody.Thesurfaceofthebiomaterialinteractswith
thebodysimmunesystem,orforexternaldeviceswithpathogens.Controlofthesurfaceandhowit
interactswiththebiologicalsystemisessentialforeffectivenessinitsintendedapplication.This
projectaimstodevelopinnovativestrategiesforsurfacefunctionalisationusingpolymersthatcan
eitheraugmentorattenuatethebodysresponsetothematerial.Twofocusapplications,namelyanti
microbialsurfacesandfunctionaltitaniumalloyshavebeenidentifiedforthedevelopmentofthenovel
surfacetreatments.Theprojectswillbuildeffectivepathwaysfrommaterialssciencetopreclinical
evaluation,andwillprovidetraininginsyntheticchemistry,biomaterialsscienceandpreclinical
testing.Responsiblescientist:HuiPeng

POLYMERDEVICES
Project2:NovelBiologicallyResponsiveMRIAgents
ThedevelopmentofMRIimagingagentshasbeencentraltotheriseofMRIasaleadingmedical
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diagnostictool.AnMRIimagingagentisamolecularadjunctwhichenablesenhancedimagedefinition
andreducedimagingtimes,aswellasmappingofspecificcelltypes.Inthisprojectnewimaging
agentswillbedevelopedwhichrespondtospecificbiologicaltriggersrelevanttodiseases,fore.g.
changesinpH,ionicstrength,oxygentension,redoxenvironmentandtemperature.Theprojectwill
involvesynthesisofnovelfunctionalpolymersusingcontrolledradicalpolymerisationmethodsand
testingofthesemoleculesasimagingagentsinanimalmodels.Theprojectissupportedbythe
AustralianResearchCouncilandtheNationalHealthandMedicalResearchCouncilandinvolves
extensivenationalandinternationalcollaboration.Thestudentwillreceivetraininginpolymer
chemistry,NMRandMRIandbiomedicalsciences.ThisprojectissuitableforPhDandHonours
students.Responsiblescientist:AndrewWhittaker

Project3:MRIImagingAgentsforDiseaseDetection
Theaimofthisprojectistodevelopnewmagneticresonance(MR)molecularimagingstrategiesthat
willenabletheinvivomonitoringofbiologicalprocesses.Specificallyweshalldevelopnovelpolymers
forimagingofearlymarkersofdiseasessuchasmelanoma,prostatecancer,malignantgliomaand
Alzheimersdisease.Specificallytheprojectinvolvesthesynthesisofnewpartlyfluorinatedpolymers
havingcontrolledarchitecturefortherapidlydevelopingfieldof19FMRI.Theprojectaimstorelate
thestructureofthemacromolecules,determinedcarefullyusingadvancedtechniquessuchasNMR,
lightscattering,GPC,AFMandelectronmicroscopy,totheperformanceasimagingagents.Theagents
willbetestedinsmallanimal(mouse)modelsofdiseasealreadydevelopedbythisgroupandour
collaborators.Responsiblescientist:AndrewWhittaker,KrisThurecht,IdrissBlakeyandHuiPeng
Project4:PolymerTheranostics:ImagingaTreatmentinvivo
Molecularimaginghashadaprofoundinfluenceonmoderndiagnosticsandhashelpeddrivethe
evolvingfieldofnanomedicine."Theranostics",theportmanteauoftherapyanddiagnostics,isone
subsectionofnanomedicineandofferstheopportunitytomonitortheeffectivenessofatherapyusing
molecularimagingtechniquesthismaybeachievedbymonitoringdrugreleasefromapolymeric
carrier,definingtumourboundariesorquantifyingnecrosis.Inthisprojectwewilldevelop
biocompatiblepolymericdevicesthattargetaspecificdiseasestateinvivo,andsubsequentlydeliver
atherapytotreatthatdiseaseusingvariousbiologicalstimuli.Theeffectivenessoftreatmentwill
thenbemonitoredusingmolecularimaging.Thiswillinvolveutilisingadvancedchemistriesforboth
thesynthesisofthepolymerdrugcomposites,andsubsequentligationofcelltargetingandimaging
moieties.ThepolymericarchitecturewillbeinvestigatedbytechniquessuchasNMR,GPCMALLS,
DLS,HPLC,UVVISetc.Thepolymericdevicewillincorporateimagingcomponentsformodalitiessuch
asmagneticresonanceimaging(MRI),positronemissiontomography(PET),computedtomography
(CT)andopticalimagingtodefinitivelylocateandmonitortumourregression.Responsiblescientist:
KrisThurechtandAndrewWhittaker

Project5:PolymericVectorsforGeneDelivery
Oneofthemostpromisingroutesforcancertherapythathasevolvedinthelastdecadeistheuseof
smallinterferingRNA(siRNA)andgenetherapyasameansofswitchingoffgenesthatare
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responsiblefortumourdevelopment.However,whilesiRNAandgene/antisensetherapiesprovide
alternativestoconventionalchemotherapies,significanthurdlesrelatedtothedeliveryandefficacyof
treatmentmuststillbeovercomebeforethistechnologycanbeusedasauniversaltreatmentof
cancerandotherdiseases.TheseproblemsincludetheinstabilityofRNA/DNAinserumduetothe
presenceofdegradingenzymes,poorcellularuptake,limitedendosomalescape(followinguptake)
andinthecaseofgenetherapy,nucleartraffickingincells.Thisprojectinvolvesthedevelopmentof
biocompatiblepolymericcarriersthatactascarriersfortheRNA/DNA.Suchacarriermust
incorporateamechanismforbindingthetherapy,directingthetherapytothesiteofinterestinthe
body,andameansofreleasingthetherapywhenitisinthecorrectregionofaction.Thus,theproject
willinvolvesyntheticpolymerchemistry(fordevelopmentofthecarriervehicle)aswellas
developmentofaseriesofligationstrategiesforattachmentofcelltargetingligandsandnuclear
penetratingpeptidesaswellastheRNA/DNAgeneofinterest.Advancedcharacterisationtechniques
suchasGPC,NMR,PAGE,HPCLandUVVISwillbeused.Responsiblescientist:KrisThurecht
Project6:TargetedContrastNanoparticlesforImagingofThrombosisandVulnerablePlaques
Thisprojectaimstodeveloptargetedcontrastnanoparticles(NPs)thatcanimagecardiovascular
diseases(CVD)associatedwithactivatedplateletssuchasthrombosisandvulnerableplaques.Such
agentscansignificantlyenhancetheaccuracyandsensitivityofnoninvasiveimagingtechniquessuch
ascomputedtomography(CT)andmagneticresonanceimaging(MRI).Themainlimitationof
commerciallyavailablecontrastagentsforimagingisthattheyarenottargetedtospecificcellsand
donotlocalizeataspecificareaforanylengthoftime.Sincetheyarerapidlyclearedfromthebody,
ahighdoseisrequired.Furthermore,inimagingofCVD,typicallyonlythevessellumenisimaged,
thereforenotprovidingsufficientinformationonclotsortheexistenceofvulnerableplaquesinthe
arterialwall.Hencethereisastrongclinicalneedforagentsthatspecificallytargetmarkersofthese
diseases.Responsiblescientist:HangTa

Project7:BifunctionalisedNanoAgentsforSimultaneousDiagnosisandTreatmentof
CardiovascularDiseases
Cardiovasculardisease(CVD)isthemajorcauseofmortalityandmorbidityindevelopedcountries.
Unstablevulnerableatheroscleroticplaquescanruptureandcausethrombosis,resultinginacute
coronarysyndromes,myocardialinfarctionandstroke.Currently,thedetectionofthisdiseaseis
limitedduetothelackofsensitiveimagingmethodsanditusuallyinvolvesinvasiveprocedures.This
projectaimstodeveloptargetedsmartnanoagentsthatcanimagevulnerableplaquesand
thrombosisandsimultaneouslyprovideantithromboticactivity.Theconjugationoftherapeuticswith
targetedimagingagentsprovidestreatmentsimultaneouslywithdiagnosisandalsoprovidesdirect
monitoringofsuccessorfailureofthetherapy.Responsiblescientist:HangTa

Project8:TheranosticsforInflammatoryDiseases
Inflammationispartofthecomplexbiologicalresponseofvasculartissuestoharmfulstimuli,suchas
pathogens,damagedcells,orirritants.Chronicinflammationmightleadtoahostofdiseases,suchas
hayfever,periodontitis,atherosclerosis,rheumatoidarthritis,andevencancer.Inatherosclerosis,
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inflammationplaysakeyroleinallstagesfrominitiationofplaquedevelopmenttotransitionofa
plaquefromstabletoarupturepronestate.Therefore,inflammatorycellsarehighlypromising
targetsformolecularimagingofvulnerableplaquesandinflammationreactions.Thisprojectwill
investigatenovelapproacheswhichcombineboththerapeuticanddiagnosticcapabilitiesfor
atherosclerosisandinflammatorydiseasesinonedose.Responsiblescientist:HangTa

Project9:DevelopmentofIonicLiquid/polymerIonogelsasConductingMaterials
Ionicliquidsareanovelclassofsolventthatexhibitinterestingphysiochemicalproperties,most
notablyarethenegligiblevapourpressure,highionicconductivityandelectrochemicalstability.These
propertieshaveledtoinvestigationsintotheuseofionicliquidsinapplicationsforfuelcells,lithium
batteryelectrolytesandsolarcells.Centraltotheadvancementofthistechnology,istherequirement
thattheionicliquidsbecomeimmobilisedorincorporatedwithinasolidmatrix.Thisprojectwill
investigatethedevelopmentofnovel(co)polymermatricesincorporatingionicliquidbased
monomers.Thephasebehaviour,microstructureandmechanicalandphysicochemicalpropertieswill
beinvestigated.Inadditiontopolymersynthesis,thisprojectwillinvolvedevelopinganunderstanding
ofanumberofcharacterisationtechniquessuchassolidstateNMR,FTIR,TEM,aswellasmechanical
andconductivitymeasurements.Responsiblescientist:IdrissBlakey,KrisThurechtandAndrew
Whittaker
Project10:NovelBlockCopolymerforLithographicApplications
Inrecentyears,blockcopolymershavecreatednewopportunitiesasalternativenanoscalepattern
templatesforlithographyapplications.Blockcopolymersareparticularlyattractivebecausetheself
directedassemblyofdomainstructuresinthinfilmscanproduceanarrayoftemplatepatternsinthe
rangeof550nm.Itiswellestablishedthattheidealblockcopolymermustexhibitbothahighvalue
ofpolymerpolymerinteractionparameter(c)andonehighlyetchresistantblock.Wehaveidentified
fromthestructurepropertymodelsthatwehavedeveloped,thatthepolystyreneblockpolyester
copolymerisagoodcandidate.Henceinthisproject,arangeofinterestingchemistrieswillbeutilized
forthesynthesisoftheblockcopolymerincludingringopeningpolymerisation,livingradical
polymerizationandsomemonomerpreparation,inadditiontocharacterizationbyvariousadvanced
techniquessuchasNMR,GPC,thermalanalysisandvibrationalspectroscopy.Thethinfilmphase
separatedmorphologywillbeinvestigatedwithrespecttothesurfaceinteractionbetweenthe
substrateandblockcopolymerbyusinghighresolutionscanningelectronmicroscopyandXPS.
Responsiblescientist:AndrewWhittaker,IdrissBlakey
Project11:ResponsivePolymersforDynamicNuclearPolarisationSpectroscopyandImaging
DynamicNuclearPolarisation(DNP)isanexcitingtechniquethatcanincreasethesensitivityofNMR
experimentsbyseveralordersofmagnitude.DNPisbasedonthetransferofpolarizationfrom
unpairedelectronspins,suchasthoseonstablefreeradicalspecies,totheNMRnucleiofinterest.
Theadditionofastablefreeradicaltotheanalytesystemhowever,canhaveunwantedeffectssuch
asthebroadeningofNMRresonancesandundesirablerelaxationeffects.Thefastandeffective
separationoftheradicalandanalyteisapotentialstrategyforavoidingtheseissues.Thisproject
involvesthedevelopmentofstimuliresponsivepolymerswhichfeaturestablefreeradicalsattheir
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periphery.Onapplicationofagivenstimulus,conformationalchangesinthepolymerwillleadto
precipitationortheinternalizationoftheradicalsitesinthepolymerparticle.Thesesystemswillbe
investigatedasDNPagentsforspectroscopyandimagingapplications.Theprojectwillinitiallyinvolve
polymersynthesis(ATRP,RAFT)andfunctionalisation(clickchemistries).Advancedstructural
characterizationofthepolarizationsystems(e.g.NMR,EPR,GPC,thermalanalysis,vibrational
spectroscopy)willbefollowedbytheinvestigationoftheirDNPcapabilities.Responsiblescientist:Kris
ThurechtandAndrewWhittaker
Project12:PolymericHalogenBondDonors:Catalysis,DrugDelivery,Selfassembly
Halogenbonding(Xbonding)isanoncovalentinteractionthatisrapidlyemergingasapowerfultool
fordirectingselfassemblyprocesses.Xbondingsharesmanysimilaritieswith,butisalsoorthogonal
to,hydrogenbondingandishighlydirectionalandtunable,intermsofbondstrength.Xbondsform
betweenahalogenelectronacceptorsite(theXbonddonor)andanelectronrichdonorsite(theX
bondacceptor).ThehalogenXbonddonorcanconsequentlybeconsideredaLewisacidsite.
IntegratingXbonddonorsites,suchasiodoperfluorocarbongroups(e.g.4iodotetrafluorophenyl),into
polymericsystemscreatesanumberofinterestingopportunitiesintheareasofcatalysis,drug
deliveryandpolymerselfassembly.Moderncontrolledradicalpolymerizationmethods(ATRP,RAFT)
willbeusedtopreparenewpolymersfunctionalisedwithXbonddonorsandtheirabilitytointeract
withXbondacceptorswillstudied.Thepolymersandtheiradductswillbecharacterizedusing
techniquessuchasNMR,GPC,DLS,thermalanalysis,vibrationalspectroscopyetc.Projectswitha
focusonapplicationsina)DrugDeliveryandb)Catalysisandc)Polymerselfassemblyarebeing
offered.Responsiblescientist:IdrissBlakey

POLYMERICMATERIALS
Project 13: SolidState NMR Investigation of Poly(tetramethylene oxide)Based Polyureas
Polyetherurethanes are an important class of polymer with very broad applications as foams,
moldings, coatings (paints), medical devices, protective clothing, etc. The nanoscalesegregated
morphology of these materials plays a critical role in determining their physical and mechanical
properties. In particular the arrangement of the socalled hard and soft segments determines
properties such as stiffness, barrier properties and impact strength. This morphology is difficult to
characterizeacombinationofmethodssensitivetobothdynamicandstaticpropertiesofthepolymer
isrequiredtoobtainadetailedpictureofhowthestructurerelatestothematerialsproperties.Inthis
projectadvancedsolidstateNMRmethodswillbeusedtocharacterizedthestructureanddynamicsof
poly(tetramethylene oxide)based polyureas. The work will be conducted with our collaborators at
PennStateUniversity(ProfJimRunt),andwillinvolvebothsynthesisanddetailedcharacterizationof
a range of materials with commerciallyrelevant structures. The student will receive training in
materialschemistry,physicalchemistryandadvancedspectroscopicmethods.Thisprojectissuitable
forPhDandHonoursstudents.Responsiblescientist:AndrewWhittaker

((analytics))
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