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Home Page » Faculty »S. Michael Kilbey II


S. Michael Kilbey II

Associate Professor & UT/ORNL Joint Faculty
Polymer Chemistry

Structure and properties of ultrathin polymer films at surfaces, Molecular assemblies in solution

B.S., University of Wisconsin (1990)
Ph.D., University of Minnesota (1996)

Research

The principal area of Professor Kilbey’s research is surface and interface engineering using soft materials. We focus on studying the intrinsic links between assembly, structure and properties of ultrathin polymer films at surfaces and of molecular assemblies in solution. Our challenge is to understand the design rules whereby controllable, precise syntheses coupled with the ability to manipulate molecular assembly and intermolecular interactions lead to new and useful structures, properties, and products. We use a variety of characterization methods to probe structure and interactions on length scales approaching molecular dimensions, including surface forces measurements and neutron reflectivity, and we also use in situ ellipsometric measurements to track dynamics of assembly and changes in solvated structure of surface-tethered polymer thin films.

Areas of Research Expertise

  • Assembly-structure-property relationships of polymer brushes made by self-assembly and by surface-initiated polymerizations
  • Swelling behavior of stimuli-responsive polymer layers and dynamics of preferential adsorption of amphiphilic block copolymers
  • Surface behavior and characterization of conducting polymer thin films


Representative publications

Rahane, S. B.; Floyd, J. A.; Metters, A. T. Kilbey, S. M. II "Swelling Behaviour of Multiresponsive Poly(methacrylic acid)-block-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Brushes Synthesized Using Surface-Initiated Photoiniferter-Mediated Photopolymerization", Advanced Functional Materials 2008, in press.

Huang, Z.; Alonzo, J.; Liu, M.; Lay, M.; Ji, H.; Zhang, Y.; Yin, F.; Smith, G. D.; Mays, J. W.; Kilbey, S. M. II; Dadmun, M. D. "Density Profile of "Looped" Triblock Copolymer Brushes at the Liquid-Solid Interfaces By Neutron Reflectivity Measurements", Macromolecules 2008, 41, 1745-1752.

Ji, H.; Sakellariou, G.; Advincula, R. C.; Smith, G. D.; Kilbey, S. M. II; Dadmun, M. D.; Mays, J. W. "Synthesis and Characterization of Well-defined [Polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine)]n Star-Block Copolymers with Poly(2-vinylpyridine) Corona Blocks", J. Poly. Sci.: Part A. Polym. Chem. 2007, 45(17), 3949-3955.

Yin, F.; Bedrov, D.; Smith, G. D.; Kilbey, S. M. II "A Langevin Dynamics Simulation Study of the Tribology of Polymer Loop Brushes", J. Chem. Phys. 2007, 127, 084910.

Ji, H.; Farmer, B. S.; Nonidez, W. K.; Advincula, R. C.; Smith, G. D.; Kilbey, S. M. II; Dadmun, M. D.; Mays, J. W.; "Anionic Synthesis of Epoxy End-Capped Polymers", Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2007, 208, 807-814.

Sankhe, A. Y.; Husson, S. M.; Kilbey, S. M. II “Direct Polymerization of Surface-Tethered Polyelectrolyte Layers in Aqueous Solution via Surface-Confined ATRP”, J. Poly. Sci. Part A.: Polym. Chem. 2007, 4, 566-575.

Rahane, S. B.; Metters, A. T.; Kilbey, S. M. II “Impact of Added Tetraethyliuram Disulfide Deactivator on the Kinetics of Growth and Reinitiation of Poly(methyl methacrylate) Brushes Made by Surface-Initiated Photoiniferter-Mediated Photopolymerization”, Macromolecules 2006, 39, 8987-8991.

Alonzo, J.; Huang, Z.; Liu, M.; Mays, J. W.; Toomey, R. G.; Dadmun, M. D.; Kilbey, S. M. II “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 2006, 39, 8434-8439.

Sankhe, A. Y.; Husson, S. M.; Kilbey II, S. M. Effect of Catalyst Deactivation on Polymerization of Electrolytes by Surface-Confined Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization in Aqueous Solutions,Macromolecules 2006, 39, 1376-1383.

Forster, A. M.; Mays, J. W.; Kilbey II, S. M. Effect of Temperature on the Shearing of Polystyrene Brushes,Journal of Polymer Science: Part B- Polymer Physics 2006, 44, 649-654.

Biographical sketch

Michael Kilbey received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1990 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the University of Tennessee (UT) as an Associate Professor of Chemistry, he was on the faculty of Clemson University in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering for 11 years. Mike is a UT/ORNL Joint Faculty, co-leading research activities in the Macromolecular Nanomaterials group at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

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Michael Kilbey

322 Buehler Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996-1600
Phone: (865) 974-3403
Click here to E-mail me