Mark Dadmun Professor Polymer and Physical       Chemistry Polymer blends and nanocomposites; neutron scattering studies of polymer interfaces B.S., University of Massachusetts (1987) Ph.D., University of Massachusetts (1991) NRC Postdoctoral Fellow NSF CAREER Awardee
E-mail: dad@utk.edu 321 Buehler Hall   ·   Telephone: 865-974-6582 Representative publications   ·   Biographical sketch   ·   Group Web page

Research

The research in our group utilizes a variety of techniques to examine methods by which the properties of polymer mixtures can be optimized by control of dispersion size or by the selective migration of a polymeric additive to the surface. For instance, the dispersion of nanoscale particles or domains in a polymer matrix can lead to nonlinear enhancement of a variety of properties. Our group has developed an understanding of how manipulation and control of the structure of polymeric components can be utilized to efficiently and reproducibly disperse nanoscale domains (or particles) in a host polymer matrix, which can readily lead to nonlinear enhancement of material properties such as dimensional stability, flame resistance, and mechanical properties. We have also developed techniques to characterize the impact of specific branched architectures on the dynamics of a surface segregation process, the final surface structure and functionality, and the material properties of a surface-modified polymeric material. Thus, our research provides specific fundamental information to enable the design of multicomponent polymeric materials with such properties as self-healing chemical and flame resistance or hardness, exceptional impact strength, outstanding tensile properties, and dimensional stability.

Representative publications

J. Alonzo, Z. Huang, M. Liu, J. W. Mays, R. G. Toomey, M. D. Dadmun, S. M. Kilbey "Looped Polymer Brushes Formed by Self Assembly of Poly(2-vinylpyridine)-polystyrene-poly(2-vinylpyridine) Triblock Copolymers at the Solid-Fluid Interface. 1. Kinetics of Preferential Adsorption" Macromolecules, In Press

S.Y. Kamath, M.D. Dadmun "The Effect of Copolymer Composition on the Dynamics of Random Copolymers in a Homopolymer Matrix", J. Chem. Phys., 125, 094902 (2006) [Chosen for joint publication in Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research, Sept. 15, 2006 www.vjbio.org]

N. J. Crawford, M. D. Dadmun, T.J. Bunning, L.V. Natarajan "Time-Resolved Light Scattering of the Phase Separation in PDLC's Formed by Photo-polymerization Induced Phase Separation" Polymer, 47, 6311-6321 (2006).

A. Rasheed, M.D. Dadmun, P.F. Britt, "Polymer-Nanofiber Composites: Enhancing Composite Properties by Nanofiber Oxidation" J. Poly. Sci.: Poly. Phys. , in Press

R. Mehta, M.D. Dadmun "Small Angle Neutron Scattering Studies on Miscible Blends of Poly (Styrene-ran-Vinyl Phenol) with Liquid Crystalline Polyurethane" Macromolecules, In Press.

A. Rasheed, M.D. Dadmun and P. F. Britt "The Efficiency of the Oxidation of Carbon Nanofibers with Various Oxidizing Agents", Carbon, Submitted

S.M. Fontana, M.D. Dadmun, D.H. Lowndes, "Growth of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofiber from Nickel Nanodot Arrays Produced Using Diblock Copolymer Thin Film Templates", Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, In Press.

A. Rasheed, M.D. Dadmun, P. F. Britt, D. Geohegan, I. Ivanov, "Improving the Dispersion of Single Walled Carbon Nanotube in a Polymer Matrix using Specific Interactions", Chem. Mat, 18, 3513-3522 (2006).

A. Rasheed, M.D. Dadmun, H.-G. Chae, S. Kumar, "Polymer Nanotube Nanocomposites: Correlating Intermolecular Interaction to Ultimate Properties" Polymer, 47, 4734-4741 (2006).

N Crawford, M.D. Dadmun, "The Impact of Polymer Chain length on the Thermodynamics of Acrylate/Cyanobiphenyl Mixtures" Liquid Crystals, 33, 195-203 (2006).

G. D. Smith, Y. Zhang, F. Yin, D. Bedrov, Z. Huang, M.D. Dadmun "A Monte Carlo Simulation Study of the Kinetics of Irreversible Adsorption of Telechelic Polymers onto a Solid Substrate", Langmuir, 22, 664-675 (2006).

H. Ji, W.K. Nonidez, R.C. Advincula, G.D. Smith, S.M. Kilbey, M.D. Dadmun, J.W. Mays, "MALDI-TOF MS Characterization of Carboxyl-End Capped Polystyrenes Synthesized Using Anionic Polymerization", Macromolecules, 38, 9950-9956 (2005).

E. Eastwood, S. Viswanathan, C.P. O'Brien, D. Kumar, M.D. Dadmun, "Methods to Improve the Properties of Polymer Mixtures: Optimizing Intermolecular Interactions and Compatibilization" Polymer, 46, 3957 (2005). [Feature Article].

Biographical sketch

Dr. Dadmun received his B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Polymer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He was then awarded a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, which he completed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Dr. Dadmun has also completed research experiments in national laboratories in Juelich, Germany, Grenoble, France, and Gaithersburg, MD. In 1994, Dr. Dadmun joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee.