Polymeric Materials
Polymer thin films and solid electrolytes built in vacuum deposition tools underpin our push toward safer, high-energy solid-state batteries, while bio-active coatings and microencapsulated therapeutics accelerate tissue integration and infection prevention on orthopedic and photonic implants. Complementary AI-driven molecular simulations shorten the design loop, predicting assembly pathways and properties before a single monomer is synthesized, and guiding lab discovery toward recyclable, sustainable polymer chemistries.
From responsive soft matter to ultrastable dielectric barriers, Rochester’s polymeric materials research spans fundamental chemistry to device integration—preparing students and partners to invent the plastics, films, and hybrid composites that will power tomorrow’s energy, biomedical, and photonic technologies.
