Research Vision: Our research group will develop sustainable polymeric materials and processes to address challenges in climate change, energy, resource conservation, and plastic waste. By integrating polymer chemistry, materials science, and green chemistry, we will transform renewable feedstocks, carbon dioxide, and waste polymers into advanced, high-performance materials with reduced environmental impact.

Sustainable Polymers: We will design polymers using renewable monomers and environmentally responsible synthetic methods. Emphasis will be given to recyclable, degradable, and dynamically cross-linked materials, retaining the performance required for applications while supporting a circular polymer economy.
Biomass Valorization: We will utilize biomass lignin and other biomass resources to prepare functional monomers, thermosets, coatings, membranes, and recyclable polymers. Selective chemical modification and controlled polymerization will overcome biomass heterogeneity while preserving its functionality and carbon value.
Carbon Capture and Utilization: We will explore synthetic chemical methods to transform carbon dioxide (CO2) into value-added chemicals, monomers, and polymers, thereby enabling its use as an alternative carbon feedstock. We will focus on developing polymeric sorbents, porous networks, and functional materials for capturing carbon dioxide from industrial emissions and ambient air.
Upcycling of Waste Polymers: Our group will investigate chemical functionalization, depolymerization, and covalent integration of plastic waste with renewable building blocks or other polymer/monomer units. These chemical and catalytic strategies will transform difficult-to-recycle plastics into higher-value materials and reduce dependence on virgin petrochemical resources.
Solid Polymer Electrolytes: In the energy domain, we will investigate solid polymer electrolytes and ion-conducting membranes with tailored ionic interactions, mechanical stability, and transport properties for batteries, fuel cells, electrochemical separations, water purification, and related applications. Fundamental studies of ionic polymers will establish relationships among molecular structure, morphology, ion transport, and macroscopic performance.

Overall, our research combines molecular design, polymer synthesis, advanced characterization, processing, and application-oriented evaluation. We aspire to translate fundamental discoveries into scalable materials and technologies.