INTRODUCTION TO POLYMER CHEMISTY
CM450/CM550
Fall 2002
Professor: Dr. Devon Shipp
Room 131 Science Center
(315) 268-2393
shippda@clarkson.edu
Guidelines for Oral Presentations and Term Papers
The aims of the oral presentation and term papers are:
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To provide an opportunity for the student to learn in more depth an area
of polymer chemistry that they find interesting and/or will increase their
knowledge and understanding in a specific area.
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To help with and evaluate future research projects that may involve polymer
synthesis and/or reactions.
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To practice oral presentations in front of peers.
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To learn how to critically evaluate a subject, discuss unanswered questions
or deficiencies in the research paper(s).
Possible topics for either the oral presentation or term papers include:
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Specialty polymers
preceramic polymers, inorganic/organic
hybrids
polymers for electronics (ferroelectric,
piezoelectric, non-linear optics)
conductive and electroluminescent polymers,
ladder polymers
biomedical polymers
recycling and degradation of polymers
dendritic and helical polymers, macrocyclic
and rotaxanes
macromonomers, telechelic polymers
-
Polymerization methods
developments in radical polymerization
(e.g. miniemulsion, microemulsion)
ring-chain equilibria theory – polymerization
of macrocycles
polymerization mechanism transformation
reactions (e.g. radical to anionic, etc.)
metal-catalyzed step-growth and chain-growth
polymerization
novel thermoplastic elastomers
There are many other possible topics. A good source of new and up-to-date
research areas in polymer chemistry can be found in the
ACS Polymer
Division Polymer Preprints and the ACS Polymer Materials, Science
and Engineering Preprints. Recent editions of the ACS journals
Macromolecules
and Langmuir, along with the Journal of Polymer Science (Parts
A and B), are also worth looking at for ideas.
Oral Presentation Grading:
Background information (30%)
Review of current knowledge (30%)
Your critical analysis of the subject (20%)
Presentation (20%)
Term Paper Grading:
Depth of review (60%)
Organization and writing (20%)
Your original contribution beyond current knowledge
(20%)
The term paper should be approached as a review with additional contributions
from yourself. These contributions may take the form of:
-
Critical assessment of the subject and discussion of unanswered questions
that need to be addressed
-
Critical evaluation of the subject and discussion of any discrepancies
and/or trends emerging from the contributions of different research groups
-
Proposing experiments that would add to current knowledge
-
Proposing a new molecular design that would improve properties or a new
synthetic route for a specialty polymer
Do not worry about having a sophisticated proposal or question from the
start – an idea will emerge from your literature search. Your final
“contribution” does not need to be sophisticated either, but does need
to demonstrate that you can think creatively and critically beyond what
other review or research papers have been presented. While the term
paper needs to be comprehensive, no more than 20-30 references are needed
(especially if there are reviews that can be cited).
The term paper must be original – no plagiarizing!!!
Last Modified August 23, 2002.