Durairaj Baskaran
Polymer Characterization Lab
Research Associate Professor
M. Sc., Anna University, Madras, India (1988)
Ph. D., University of Pune, India (1996)
Additional Information
Research
A major focus of my research is in the area of synthesis of well-defined homo, block and branched polymers using living anionic polymerization and understanding molecular properties of polymers in bulk and in solution. Other thrust areas of research include surface modification of carbon nanotubes through covalent and non-covalent functionalization using polymers, synthesis of hyperbranched macromolecules using anionic self-condensing vinyl polymerization with specific functionality. Controlled radical polymerization is also another active area of my research.
Representative publications
Anionic vinyl polymerization-50 years after Michael Szwarc, D. Baskaran and A. H. E. Mueller, Progress in Polymer Science, 2007, 32, 173-219 ( a review with 407 references)
Unfavorable coordination of copper with methylvinylketone in atom transfer radical polymerization, A. Mittal, S. Sivaram, D. Baskaran, Macromolecules,2006, 39, 5555-5558
Carbon: Nanotubes, D. Baskaran, Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Edition, Vol II, pp. 730-364, 2005 (a review with 250 references)
Non-covalent and non-specific molecular interaction of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with polymers and small molecules, D. Baskaran, J. W. Mays, M. S. Bratcher, Chemistry of Materials,2005,17,3389-3397.
Carbon nanotubes with covalently linked porphyrin antennae: Photoinduced electron transfer. D. Baskaran, J.W. Mays, X. Peter Zhang, and M.S. Bratcher, J. Am. Chem. Soc. , 2005, 127, 6916.
Strategic developments in living anionic polymerization of alkyl (meth)acrylates, D. Baskaran, Progress in Polymer Science, 2003, 28/4, 521-581(a review with 313 references)
Synthesis of hyperbranched polymers by anionic self-condensing vinyl polymerization, D. Baskaran, Macromol. Chem. and Phys., 202, 1569, 2001. (featured on the cover)
Polymer grafted multi-walled carbon nanotubes through surface initiated polymerization, D. Baskaran, J. W. Mays, M. S. Bratcher. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. ,2004, 43, 2138-2142
Well-defined poly(4-vinylbenzocyclobutene): Synthesis by living anionic polymerization and characterization. G. Sakellariou, D. Baskaran, N. Hadjichristidis, J. W. Mays, Macromolecules,2006, 39, 3525-3530.
A process for the development of recyclable and reversible clay catalyst for metal mediated polymerization, D. Baskaran and S. Munirasu, Indian patent 1712DEL 2007 (10th August 2007).
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Baskaran received his M. Sc. degree in applied chemistry from Anna University, Madras, India in 1988. He attended graduate school at the National Chemical Laboratory, India and University of Mainz, Germany. He was awarded a DAAD-fellowship at the Institute for Physical Chemistry, University of Mainz, Germany and received the Ph.D. in 1996. He worked as a senior scientist for several years (1996-2002 and 2005-2007) at the National Chemical Laboratory before joining the University of Tennessee.
