Ciba Specialty
Chemicals and University of Florida
Co-develop Electrochromic and Conducting Polymers
A research development and licensing agreement
between researchers in the Center for Macromolecular Science
and Engineering at the University of Florida and Ciba Specialty
Chemicals seeks to utilize a family of dioxypyrrole-based
electrochromic and conducting polymers for color-changing
display and switchable window applications. By producing
soluble polymers that can be processed by spraying, roll
coating, or printing methods, the team is directing their
efforts to producing electroactive coatings that can be
used forapplications that range from flexible printed displays
for advertising to mirrors and windows in automotive and
architectural applications.
The UF/Ciba effort grew out of a federally
funded electrochromic polymers research program carried
out in the Reynolds research group over the last ten years.
Within this, students and postdocs in the group discovered
that the N-alkylated poly(3,4-dioxypyrroles) (PXDOPs) have
the unique property of being colorless and transparent in
their charge neutral state, while being easily electrochemically
switched to a colored charged state with a small applied
voltage in electrolyte. This team, which has included Prof.
John Reynolds with students Ryan Walczak and Ece Unur along
with postdoctoral fellow June-Ho Jung shown in the accompanying
picture have developed numerous polymers and copolymers
that capture a broad range of electrochromic colors. The
synthesis and properties of the PXDOPs were recently reviewed
in the journal Advanced Materials (2006, 18, 1121-1131)
by part of the team. The collaboration between the academic
and industrial institutes is highly interactive with Ciba
researchers spending time in the UF laboratories, along
with reciprocal visits of UF researchers to the Ciba facility
in Tarrytown, NY.
John Reynolds, who serves as principal
investigator for the research at UF, notes “The Ciba-Florida
program does exactly what one would want in a Company-University
collaboration. The University benefits as our students and
postdocs are trained, able to learn how industrial research
is successfully accomplished, and carry out research in
developing and characterizing new conjugated polymer systems.
The company benefits as it picks up state-of-the-art electroactive
polymer characterization methods, has access to University
intellectual property, and develops new products.”
On the other side, Joe Babiarz who serves
as the team leader and overall coordinator for the program
at Ciba adds “when we initially thought about exploring
the area of electroactive materials, we knew early on that
a partner was needed. John Reynolds’ work was known to us
and at a Society of Vacuum Coaters meeting in Dallas in
2004 we introduced ourselves to him and that started our
collaboration. We are coming to the end of our second year
together and plan to continue. John states quite clearly
the mutual benefit. We look forward to a long lasting relationship.” |
