{"id":6,"date":"2017-08-25T14:35:37","date_gmt":"2017-08-25T14:35:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2026-05-15T13:33:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T17:33:21","slug":"sample-page","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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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.<\/p>\n

If you are a prospective Ph.D. student who is interested in joining the Urban Research Group, please visit the Clemson Graduate Admissions<\/a>\u00a0to learn about the admission process and MSE Graduate Program<\/a> opportunities. You may also contact Mrs. Laura Kinard at lkinard@clemson.edu if you have specific questions.<\/p>\n

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– RECENT NEWS –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sept 2025. <\/span>Dr. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>Samruddhi Gaikwad\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>has joined the University of Delaware as a research associate.<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Aug 2025. <\/span>Samruddhi Gaikwad <\/span><\/span><\/strong>has been awarded a doctorate degree at the August 2025 commencement ceremony.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span>Apr 2025. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>Samruddhi Gaikwad\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>has been awarded by the Clemson University Graduate School Government Gold GSG Outstanding Research Award 2025.
Mar 2025. Nyx Mashkow <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/strong>has been awarded the <\/span>Goldwater Scholarship<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span><\/strong>one of the most prestigious national undergraduate scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics.<\/span>
Mar 2025.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong> Jack Austin <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong>has been awarded t<\/span>he<\/span><\/span> Hugh H. Wilson Award <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/strong>for Most Outstanding Senior Experimentalist.<\/span><\/span>
Jan 2024. Samruddhi Gaikwad <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/strong>has been awarded t<\/strong><\/span><\/span>he Kentwool Educational Fellow for Excellence in Graduate Research<\/strong><\/span>.
Aug 2022. <\/span><\/span><\/strong>Dr. Lei Li <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>has joined the Department of Chemistry at Western Kentucky University as an assistant professor.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
Jun 2022. Dr. Siyang Wang <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/strong>has joined the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering as a research associate.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
May 2022<\/strong>. Siyang Wang <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/strong>has <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>been awarded a doctorate degree at the May 2022 commencement ceremony.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
Oct 2021<\/strong>. Dr. Qianhui Liu <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/strong>has joined Kerr Dental Co., CA, USA.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
Apr 2021<\/span><\/span><\/strong>. Siyang Wang<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/strong> has given an invited talk at the National American Chemical Society meeting as part of the<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> “Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research Symposium<\/strong><\/span>\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>sponsored by the Division of Polymer Chemistry of ACS.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/strong><\/strong>Jan 2021<\/strong>. Dr. Dmitriy Davydovich <\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/strong>has joined Monosol Corp., IN, USA.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
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– RECENTLY PUBLISHED – <\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>\n


<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Md. W. Ullah and M.W. Urban, \u201cPoly(ionic liquid)-Based Covalently Adaptable Networks (PIL-CANs): Polar and Dipolar Interactions,\u201d 2026 ACS Macro Letters.<\/a><\/strong><\/em>
S. Gaikwad, J. Fischer, Q. Liu, S. Wang, D. Hitchcock, J. Amoroso, C. James, M.W. Urban, \u201cSelf-healable acrylic\/polyolefin-reinforced composites for H2 fuel applications,\u201d 2026 RSC Applied Polymers<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em>
S. Biswas, J. Liu, J. Austin, M.W. Urban, \u201cIon\u2010Lock Storage with Multi\u2010Logic Circuitry Gated by Polar\u2013Dipolar Interactions in Poly(Ionic Liquids),\u201d Angewandte Chemie Inter. Ed. 2026.<\/a><\/strong><\/em>
E. Hermosillo-Ochoa, J. Liu, M. W. Urban, \u201cModulating Ionic Conductivity in Star and Linear Poly(Ionic Liquids) by Dipolar Interactions,\u201d ACS Macro Letters 2026.<\/a><\/strong><\/em>
J. Liu, Md W. Ullah, M.W. Urban, \u201cCompeting Dipolar and van Der Waals Forces in Dynamic Self\u2010Healing of Poly(Ionic Liquid) Copolymers,\u201d Angewandte Chemie Inter. Ed. 2025.<\/a><\/strong><\/em>
J. Liu, M.W. Urban, \u201cBio-Inspired Molecular Events in Poly(Ionic Liquids),\u201d Adv. Funct. Mater., 2025<\/a><\/strong><\/em>.
J. Liu, Y. Yang, M.W. Urban, \u201cThermodynamics of Self-healing and their Application in Polymeric Materials,\u201d Chapter 5; in Healable Polymer Systems, 2nd Edition, Eds. W. Hayes, B. Greenland, RSC Polymer Chemistry Series 2025<\/a><\/strong><\/em>.
S. Gaikwad, J. Liu, N. Mashkow, M.W. Urban, \u201cSelf-Healable Poly(ionic liquid) Copolymers Driven by Polar and Dipolar Forces,\u201d Angewandte Chemie Inter. Ed. 2025<\/a><\/strong><\/em>.
J. Liu, M.W. Urban, “Living Dynamic Polymeric Materials,” Materials Horizons, 2025,<\/a><\/strong><\/em> 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.<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, 2025, e19835.
J. Liu, M.W. Urban, “Polar Perturbations of Dipolar Interactions in Azole-Based Poly(ionic liquids),” ACS Macro Lett. 2025,<\/a><\/strong><\/em> 14, 7, 948\u2013954.
Md. W. Ullah, J. Liu, M.W. Urban, “Encoding Dipolar and Ionic Interactions in Comb-Like Poly(ionic Liquids),” Macromolecules, 2025,<\/a><\/strong><\/em> 58, 8, 4250\u20134256.
J. Liu, S. Biswas, M.W. Urban, “Dynamics of Dipolar and Ionic Interactions in Self-Healable Poly(ionic liquid) Copolymers,” Macromolecules, 2024,<\/a><\/strong><\/em> 57, 12, 5831\u20135837.
S. Gaikwad, M.W. Urban, “Fluorophilic Sigma(\u03c3)-Lock Self-Healable Copolymers,” Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., 2024<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, 63, (29), e202405504.
J. Liu, M.W. Urban, “Dynamic Interfaces in Self-Healable Polymers,” Langmuir, 2024,<\/a><\/strong><\/em> 40, 7268\u22127285.
S. Gaikwad, M.W. Urban, “Ring-and-Lock Interactions in Styrenic-based Copolymers,” J. Amer. Chem. Soc.<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, 2023, 145, 17, 9693\u20139699.
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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 … Continue reading <\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"post-thumbnail":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"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…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":915,"href":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8577,"href":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions\/8577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/urbanresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}