Despite the plethora of research devoted to olefin metathesis polymerization over the past 25 years, microstructural diversity is currently limited to alkenes, alkynes, and enynes. Recently, I discovered that allenes are susceptible to metathetic conditions, expanding the diversity set by 25%. As allenes unique structure and reactivity has been readily exploited both in nature and organic synthesis, polyallenes provide promising opportunities for the expansion of bio-inspired materials.

Polymer backbones are traditionally viewed as fixed structures, with substantial changes in chemical identity requiring the synthesis of an entirely new material. Macromolecular skeletal editing challenges this paradigm by enabling existing polymers to serve as starting materials for new structures. We are developing atom-deletion reactions that selectively remove individual atoms or molecular fragments from polymer backbones, providing access to microstructures that can be difficult to obtain through conventional polymerization. By understanding how these reactions operate in macromolecular environments, we aim to establish new strategies for transforming existing polymers and revealing previously inaccessible material properties.

Mechanical forces are unavoidable throughout the lifetime of polymeric materials, where they are traditionally associated with damage and failure. Polymer mechanochemistry provides an opportunity to instead harness these forces to drive productive chemical reactions. We are interested in understanding how molecular and polymer structure can be designed to control the chemistry accessed under mechanical stress. By uncovering new force-induced reaction pathways and learning how their selectivity and extent can be controlled, we aim to establish new ways of using mechanical force to transform polymer structure, properties, and function.