My passion, polymer chemistry

His future profession

How do we call an assembly of molecules stuck one after the other like the links of a chain? A polymer. Polymer chemistry has drawn up a long list. They are absolutely everywhere, liquid or solid, natural or artificial. To name a few, DNA and plastic are part of it. But also paper, glue, potato starch, nylon, all proteins.

Any protein is a chain that can contain several hundred links. Knowing that there are only twenty types of links, proteins are distinguished from each other by the choice of links, the quantity of links of each selected type and the order of assembly of all of these links. In short, an infinity of recipes for a menu made up of all the proteins of the living world: animal, plant, bacteria, mushroom. The full potential and usefulness of polymers can be summed up with this observation.

This apparent simplicity hides a real challenge for polymer chemists: the very difficult prediction of the properties of a new polymer from its composition. One thing is certain, however: a chain of molecules is capable of feats that the same number of independent molecules cannot do.

The fascinating polymer chemistry has very diverse applications, especially in everyday life, health and new technologies. For example, we are currently testing ultra-thin, light and flexible TV or computer screens. In other words, colored electronic paper. An innovation resulting from the discovery, by chemists, of polymers which change colors when one passes electricity there. The LCD screens are therefore already suspended.

Also in the technology world, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, has a reinforced carbon polymer cabin and wings. As strong as steel, this material has the advantage of being much lighter. The aircraft can carry more passengers while consuming less fuel. So by polluting less.

Another example where polymers help protect the environment: biodegradable plastics. They are used for packaging, utensils and all other disposable plastic accessories. A new generation promises to be completely biodegradable.

The medical world also uses polymers a lot. And there will be more and more research in this area. We are expecting soon the biodegradable polymer sutures. No need to go back to the hospital to have your stitches removed. They will dissolve on their own in the body.

If biomedical engineering has developed innovative tools to keep arteries open, the solution proposed by polymer chemists seems even simpler. Pass a polymer wire through the artery to the wound. And here we wait a bit. The polymer thread reacts to body heat by winding on itself. It takes the form of a spring that keeps the artery open so that blood can flow through it without problems.

Dentistry also uses polymers. The dentist deposits on a broken tooth a malleable paste to which it gives the shape of the missing part. Then, it exposes it to ultraviolet rays and the paste hardens. What happened? The dough contains the links of a polymer chain. Ultraviolet rays weld them together to make it as hard as the tooth enamel.

As we can see, there is a lot of room for creativity in polymer chemistry. Innovation is constantly present.

His choice

I don’t come from a family of scientists. But when I was young, I read Les Débrouillards magazine. I admired Leonardo Da Vinci and Isaac Newton, especially for their multidisciplinarity. As a teenager, I was mainly drawn to sports, philosophy and literature. But at the end of my secondary school, my chemistry teacher passed on his passion to me. I really liked his way of teaching, as well as his way of approaching chemistry.

Since I wanted to enter the job market as quickly as possible, I chose, at CEGEP, to do a laboratory technique in chemistry. I thought to myself that after a year, I could always change my mind, but I liked that, so I continued. My second year was a click. It was then that I definitely chose chemistry.

My DEC completed, I worked in a polymerization factory. I enjoyed my experience so much that I decided to go back to school. I knew exactly what area of ​​chemistry I wanted to learn more about. Plastics fascinated me.

I did my baccalaureate in chemistry, at UQAM, while working in a laboratory, part-time. One summer, I took leave without pay to do a four-month internship with one of my teachers. I got on so well with him that I decided to continue my graduate studies in his lab for the copolymerization of ethylene and polar monomer by catalytic means. Complicated words… Let’s just say that we are creating polymers that can be used to manufacture new functional materials.

I am now at the doctorate, that is to say that on the way, I really got the sting of science!

His goal

My DEC in chemistry was a hard learning, an intellectual challenge, which I took up! I learned to think as a scientist and to be extremely disciplined, rigorous. From my first internship at the university lab, I liked teamwork: UQÀM has a partnership with Polytechnique and the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Montreal.

For my doctorate, I’m doing research on polyethylene. My work is not going to directly save lives, but my discoveries could open the door to biomedical applications, for example, transporting proteins in water-soluble polymer vesicles.

Furthermore, the polymer is the basis of all plastics. The incredible physicochemical properties of this material, which is very present in everyday life, will never cease to fascinate me! It must be said that I have an overflowing energy, that I am passionate about my work. When I put an idea in my head, I don’t stop until I succeed.

His contribution

I don’t think our society can deprive itself of plastic. But we could be more responsible, by starting to give up burning our oil reserves, especially since the resource is not renewable.

Of course, biodegradable plastic exists, but its manufacture remains polluting and it is not recyclable. In addition, it lacks resistance. Green plastic, economically viable, is therefore a field of research of primary importance for our planet. To do my part, I’m interested in the conductive properties of polymers, especially the hydrogen fuel cell.

My personal challenge is to create new materials that make everyday life easier, while respecting the environment! I like the idea of ​​holding in my hands a functional object which partly exists thanks to my research. My discoveries will not remain on the shelves. My contribution will be very tangible.

Without wanting to predict my future, I know that, whatever their nature, I will face challenges in a stimulating work environment.

Source: La Science prends le métro