people
|Faculty
|Toby Chapman
 |
Toby Chapman Department of Chemistry |
Professor Chapman’s current research is in the area of polymer synthesis, particularly polymers with potential biomedical applications. His research is currently centering on dendritic polymers made from naturally occurring amino acids and other metabolites to be used for applications ranging from drug delivery and gene therapy to tissue engineering and artificial blood. We have been focusing on amphiphilic dendritic polymers based on the amino acid lysine and also containing linear polymeric moieties. We refer to these polymers as “hydraamphiphiles” We are studying their ability to carry hydrophobic drugs either by forming micelles in water and absorbing the drugs or by stabilizing oil-in-water emulsions which function as the drug carriers. The polymers are also being studied as vectors for carrying DNA into cells and as modifiers of the mechanical properties of ceramic materials to be used as prostheses.
A second interest is the synthesis of fully conjugated dendrimers. These would serve as the basis of novel, organic “quantum dots” with very strong nonlinear optical properties and as a potential photoredox catalysts. In the latter capacity, these would model chloroplasts and potentially lead to a unique catalyst for splitting water photochemically.
A third interest remains the synthesis of biocompatible coatings based on polyurethanes. This involves synthesizing polyurethanes with biobenign hydrolysis products as well as creating backbone sites for modification in a way to promote the adhesion of natural surface cells.
Selected Publications
"Poly(N-vinylformamide) - A drag-reducing polymer for biomedical applications," Marhefka, J.N.; Marascalco, P. J.; Chapman, T. M., Biomacromolecules, 2006, 7, 1597-1603
"Design and synthesis of hydroxyapatite composites containing an mPEG-dendritic poly(L-lysine) star polycaprolactone," Boduch-Lee, K. A.; Chapman, T. M.; Petricca, S.E., Macromolecules, 2004, 37, 8959-8966
"Synthesis and characterization of alkylated n-vinylformamide monomers and their polymers," Shi, L. J.; Boduch-Lee, K. A.; Henssler, J. T., Journal of Polymer Science Part A - Polymer Chemistry, 2004, 42, 4994-5004
"Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry of Discreet Mass. Poly(butylenes glutarate) Oligomers," J.B. Williams, T.M. Chapman, D. Hercules, Anal. Chem., 2003, 75, 3092-3100
"Synthesis of Discreet Mass Poly(butylenes gluitarate) Oligomers," J.B. Williams, T.M. Chapman, D. Hercules, Macromolecules, 2003, 36, 3898-3908
"Poly(Ethylene glycol)-block-Poly(N-vinylformamide) Copolymers Synthesized by the RAFT Methodology," L. Shi, T.M. Chapman, E.J. Beckman, Macromolecules, 2003, 36(7), 3563-2567
"Design and Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite Composites Containing a PEG-dendritic Poly(L-lysine) Star Polycaprolactone," K.A. Boduch-Lee, T.M. Chapman, S. Petricca, K. Marra, Kumta, PMSE Preprints, 2003, 89, 570-571
"Synthesis and Characterization of Hyperbranched Polylysine," T.L. Menz, T. Chapman, Polymer Preprints, 2003, 44(2), 842-843
"Easily Grafted Polyurethanes with Reactive Main Chain Functional Groups. Synthesis, Characterization, and Anti-thrombogenicity of Poly(Ethylene Glycol) grafted Poly(Urethanes)," J. M. Orban, T. M. Chapman, W. R. Wagner, R. Jankowski, J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Chem. Ed., 1999, 37A, 3441-3449
"Determination of Low Critical Surface Tensions of Novel Fluorinated Poly(amide urethane) Block Copolymers. 3. Siloxane-Containing Side Chains," K. G. Marra, T. M. Chapman, and J. M. Orban, Macromolecules, 1996, 29, 7553