We are an interdisciplinary research group with a broad interest in the fundamental and applied aspects of materials chemistry, with a particular focus on macromolecular science. Our efforts are focused on the design and synthesis of adaptive polymers and understanding the molecular-level events that govern their behavior in various environments. Synthetic efforts, combined with spectroscopic measurements, are directed toward developing multi-stimuli-responsive materials and understanding the molecular processes governing ubiquitous inter- and intra-chain interactions. Parallel efforts focus on the design of self-healing polymeric materials that exhibit upcycling capabilities, including light sensitivity, corrosion inhibition, anti-fouling, and antimicrobial properties, among other unique attributes. Using chemical (IR and Raman) imaging along with an array of different spectroscopic and thermo-mechanical tools, Urban Research Group members design, synthesize, and develop new generations of materials with adaptable, sensing, and signaling properties.

If you are a prospective Ph.D. student who is interested in joining the Urban Research Group, please visit the Clemson Graduate Admissions to learn about the admission process and MSE Graduate Program opportunities. You may also contact Mrs. Laura Kinard at lkinard@clemson.edu if you have specific questions.

– RECENT NEWS –

Sept 2025. Dr. Samruddhi Gaikwad has joined the University of Delaware as a research associate.                                                                    Aug 2025. Samruddhi Gaikwad has been awarded a doctorate degree at the August 2025 commencement ceremony.                                   Apr 2025. Samruddhi Gaikwad has been awarded by the Clemson University Graduate School Government Gold GSG Outstanding Research Award 2025.
Mar 2025. Nyx Mashkow has been awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prestigious national undergraduate scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics.
Mar 2025. Jack Austin has been awarded the Hugh H. Wilson Award for Most Outstanding Senior Experimentalist.
Jan 2024. Samruddhi Gaikwad has been awarded the Kentwool Educational Fellow for Excellence in Graduate Research.
Aug 2022. Dr. Lei Li has joined the Department of Chemistry at Western Kentucky University as an assistant professor.
Jun 2022. Dr. Siyang Wang has joined the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering as a research associate.
May 2022. Siyang Wang has been awarded a doctorate degree at the May 2022 commencement ceremony.
Oct 2021. Dr. Qianhui Liu has joined Kerr Dental Co., CA, USA.
Apr 2021. Siyang Wang has given an invited talk at the National American Chemical Society meeting as part of the “Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research Symposium” sponsored by the Division of Polymer Chemistry of ACS.
Jan 2021. Dr. Dmitriy Davydovich has joined Monosol Corp., IN, USA.



 

 

 

– RECENTLY PUBLISHED –


Md. W. Ullah and M.W. Urban, “Poly(ionic liquid)-Based Covalently Adaptable Networks (PIL-CANs): Polar and Dipolar Interactions,” 2026 ACS Macro Letters.
S. Gaikwad, J. Fischer, Q. Liu, S. Wang, D. Hitchcock, J. Amoroso, C. James, M.W. Urban, “Self-healable acrylic/polyolefin-reinforced composites for H2 fuel applications,” 2026 RSC Applied Polymers.
S. Biswas, J. Liu, J. Austin, M.W. Urban, “Ion‐Lock Storage with Multi‐Logic Circuitry Gated by Polar–Dipolar Interactions in Poly(Ionic Liquids),” Angewandte Chemie Inter. Ed. 2026.
E. Hermosillo-Ochoa, J. Liu, M. W. Urban, “Modulating Ionic Conductivity in Star and Linear Poly(Ionic Liquids) by Dipolar Interactions,” ACS Macro Letters 2026.
J. Liu, Md W. Ullah, M.W. Urban, “Competing Dipolar and van Der Waals Forces in Dynamic Self‐Healing of Poly(Ionic Liquid) Copolymers,” Angewandte Chemie Inter. Ed. 2025.
J. Liu, M.W. Urban, “Bio-Inspired Molecular Events in Poly(Ionic Liquids),” Adv. Funct. Mater., 2025.
J. Liu, Y. Yang, M.W. Urban, “Thermodynamics of Self-healing and their Application in Polymeric Materials,” Chapter 5; in Healable Polymer Systems, 2nd Edition, Eds. W. Hayes, B. Greenland, RSC Polymer Chemistry Series 2025.
S. Gaikwad, J. Liu, N. Mashkow, M.W. Urban, “Self-Healable Poly(ionic liquid) Copolymers Driven by Polar and Dipolar Forces,” Angewandte Chemie Inter. Ed. 2025.
J. Liu, M.W. Urban, “Living Dynamic Polymeric Materials,” Materials Horizons, 2025, 12, 7060-7065.
J. Liu, Md. W. Ullah, M.W. Urban, “Competing Dipolar and van der Waals Forces in Dynamic Self-Healing of Poly(Ionic Liquid) Copolymers,” Angewandte Chemie Inter. Ed., 2025, e19835.
J. Liu, M.W. Urban, “Polar Perturbations of Dipolar Interactions in Azole-Based Poly(ionic liquids),” ACS Macro Lett. 2025, 14, 7, 948–954.
Md. W. Ullah, J. Liu, M.W. Urban, “Encoding Dipolar and Ionic Interactions in Comb-Like Poly(ionic Liquids),” Macromolecules, 2025, 58, 8, 4250–4256.
J. Liu, S. Biswas, M.W. Urban, “Dynamics of Dipolar and Ionic Interactions in Self-Healable Poly(ionic liquid) Copolymers,” Macromolecules, 2024, 57, 12, 5831–5837.
S. Gaikwad, M.W. Urban, “Fluorophilic Sigma(σ)-Lock Self-Healable Copolymers,” Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., 2024, 63, (29), e202405504.
J. Liu, M.W. Urban, “Dynamic Interfaces in Self-Healable Polymers,” Langmuir, 2024, 40, 7268−7285.
S. Gaikwad, M.W. Urban, “Ring-and-Lock Interactions in Styrenic-based Copolymers,” J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 2023, 145, 17, 9693–9699.