Academic staff : Sébastien Perrier

Associate Professor Address: Room 351 School of Chemistry, Building F11 The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia Email address: s.perrier@chem.usyd.edu.au Telephone 61 (2) 9351 3366 Fax 61 (2) 9351 3329

Career Profile:

Diplome d’ingenieur, Ecole National Superieur de Chimie de Montpellier, France, 1998
Diplome d’Etudes Approfondies, Universite Montpellier II, France, 1998
Ph.D., the University of Warwick, UK, 2001
Postdoctoral Fellow, UNSW, Australia, 2001-2002
Lecturer, the University of Leeds, UK, 2002-2005
Senior-Lecturer, the University of Leeds, UK, 2005-2007
Associate Professor, the University of Sydney, Australia, 2007-

Areas of Interest:

• Soft Matter
• Polymer synthesis and characterisation
• Radical chemistry
• Catalysis

Research:

In the last 50 years, the area of macromolecule synthesis has evolved from large bulk processes to manufacture commodity polymers (‘plastics’), to specific polymerisation techniques that produce highly functional materials for high tech applications. Our team specialises in the synthesis and characterisation of macromolecules with highly controlled and pre-determinable structures using controlled/living free radical polymerisation, to design new materials, or improve existing ones. Our research is at the interface between the understanding of the chemistry behind the polymerisation techniques, and the production of functional materials for targeted applications. Such applications can be in the field of pharmacy (e.g. drug delivery), biology (e.g. antimicrobial materials, synthetic proteins), nanotechnology (e.g. components for optoelectronic applications), physics (e.g. rheology modifiers) or chemistry (polymerisation catalysts, processes, etc.). Much of our research is carried out in close collaboration with our industrial and academic partners.

Our research lies at the interface of Organic Synthesis and Materials / Soft Matter Science.

Synthesis:

- Development of synthetic pathways to produce functional precursors for polymerisation (initiators, monomers, etc.) and study of polymerization catalysts.

- Polymerisation chemistry: Mechanism and kinetics – Understanding the basis of the chemistry involved in a polymerisation system is essential to produce well controlled functional materials. Our main interest concerns the study of transition metal chemistry toward the development of transition metal mediated living radical polymerization (ATRP) and radical organic chemistry used in reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerisation.

	- Process: In order to realistically plan the development of new polymerisation techniques from the laboratory bench to industrial scale, we investigate reactions scale-up, high-throughput syntheses, and sustainable processes.

Material / Soft Matter Science:

Our understanding of the chemistry involved in polymer synthesis allows us to produce functional materials for targeted applications. Our main research interests are divided in four mainstream areas:

	- Complex Macromolecular Architectures: We develop complex polymeric architectures (block copolymers, star (co)polymers, branched (co)polymers, graft (co)polymers, etc.) with unique properties.

- Functional Polymeric Materials: By controlling the synthesis of polymeric chains, we can produce functional macromolecules and materials.

- Polymer self-assembly: Polymers of controlled architecture and functionality can self-assemble in solution or in the bulk. We exploit these properties to develop ‘smart’ nanomaterials (e.g. nanocontainers, etc.)

	- Hybrid synthetic / natural materials: By functionalising natural polymers (proteins, peptides, cellulose, etc.) with synthetic polymeric chains, we modify their properties and behaviour.

- Hybrid synthetic / natural materials: By functionalising natural polymers (proteins, peptides, cellulose, etc.) with synthetic polymeric chains, we modify their properties and behaviour.

See our homepage for further details: http://www.kcpc.usyd.edu.au

Selected publications:

- ‘Synthesis of well-defined conjugated copolymers by RAFT polymerization using cysteine and glutathine-based chain transfer agents’, Zhao, Youliang, Perrier, Sebastien, Chem. Commun, (2007), 4294 – 4296

- ‘Ultra-fast microwave enhanced reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization: monomers to polymers in minutes.’ Brown, Steven L.; Rayner, Christopher; Graham, Susan; Cooper, Andrew; Rannard, Steven; Perrier, Sebastien. Chem. Commun. (2007), (21), 2145-2147.

- ‘Tuning the color switching of naphthopyrans via the control of polymeric architectures.’ Sriprom, Wilasinee; Neel, Marjorie; Gabbutt, Christopher D.; Heron, B. Mark; Perrier, Sebastien. J. Mat. Chem. (2007), 17(19), 1885-1893.

- ‘Novel Difunctional Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) Agent for the Synthesis of Telechelic and ABA Triblock Methacrylate and Acrylate Copolymers.’ Legge, Thomas M.; Slark, Andrew T.; Perrier, Sebastien Macromolecules (2007), 40(7), 2318-2326.

- ‘Living Radical Polymerization of Isoprene via the RAFT Process.’ Jitchum, Varangkana; Perrier, Sebastien, Macromolecules (2007), 40(5), 1408-1412.

- ‘Polymer chemistry: Sacrificial synthesis.’ Perrier, Sebastien; Wang, Xiaosong. Nature (2007), 445(7125), 271-272.

- ‘Progress in RAFT/MADIX polymerization: synthesis, use, and recovery of chain transfer agents.’, Perrier, Sebastien; Takolpuckdee, Pittaya; Brown, Steven; Legge, Thomas M.; Roy, Debashish; Wood, Murray R.; Rannard, Steven P.; Duncalf, David J., ACS Symposium Series (2006), 944(Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization), 438-454.

- ‘Thermal stability of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer/macromolecular architecture design by interchange of xanthates chain-transfer agents.’ Legge, Thomas M.; Slark, Andrew T.; Perrier, Sebastien. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. (2006), 44(24), 6980-6987.

- ‘Polymerization via Z-Supported RAFT Polymerization.’ Zhao, Youliang; Perrier, Sebastien. Macromolecules (2006), 39(25), 8603-8608

- ‘Selective one-pot synthesis of trithiocarbonates, xanthates, and dithiocarbamates for use in RAFT/MADIX living radical polymerizations.’ Wood, Murray R.; Duncalf, David J.; Rannard, Steven P.; Perrier, Sebastien Org. Lett. (2006), 8(4), 553-556.

- ‘Graft Polymerization: Grafting Poly(styrene) from Cellulose via Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) Polymerization.’ Roy, Debashish; Guthrie, James T.; Perrier, Sebastien. Macromolecules (2005), 38(25), 10363-10372.

- ‘Macromolecular design via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)/xanthates (MADIX) polymerization.’ Perrier, Sebastien; Takolpuckdee, Pittaya. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. (2005), 43(22), 5347-5393.