Mustafa Y. Sen is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Polymer Science, University of Akron. He obtained his B.S. degree in Chemistry at Bogazici University, Turkey in 2002 and M.S. degree in Polymer Science at University of Akron in 2005 under the supervision of Dr. Roderic P. Quirk. He joined the Puskas group in December of 2005. His research project includes functionalization of polyisobutylene-based biomaterials using enzymatic catalysis.

Functionalization of Polyisobutylene-based Biomaterials Using Enzymatic Catalysis : Arborescent polyisobutylene-polystyrene block copolymers (arbPIB-b-PSt), which are known as the third generation of PIB-based TPEs, are synthesized by carbocationic copolymerization of isobutylene and 4-(2-methoxy-isopropyl) styrene inimer followed by sequential addition of styrene (or p-methyl styrene) monomer to the living arbPIB. Using the same methodology, it is possible to synthesize arbPIB(OH)-b-P(p-MeSt) by employing 4-(1,2-oxirane-isopropyl)-styrene as the inimer. Thymine (T) and adenine (A) units can be incorporated into those polymers in order to reduce creep via complementary multiple hydrogen bonding or to change surface morphology of the material.

Our proposed strategy to introduce thymine and adenine functionality into either the arbPIB core or the P-p-MeSty corona includes a chemo-enzymatic transesterification reaction using a lipase enzyme, Candida antarctica lipase B.