Research

Overview: Research in the Romero Polymer Lab

Research in the N. Romero Group is inspired by the pursuit of advanced polymeric materials that address current global challenges in sustainability, energy harvesting & storage, communications, and many other areas. Our focus is to develop new chemical transformations that expand the frontiers of organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, and main group chemistry to enable next generation organic electronics, responsive polymers, and renewable materials. These interdisciplinary efforts congregate a range of synthetic techniques, mechanistic tools, and instrumental methods, including electrochemistry, photochemistry, photoredox catalysis, and transition metal catalysis.

Project Areas

Electrochemical & Photochemical Methods for Polymer Synthesis and Functionalization

We are developing new synthetic methods for controlled polymerization and polymer functionalization. We aim to achieve precise structural control and tunable material properties by leveraging novel electrochemical and photochemical methods.

Frustrated Lewis Pair Polymers

Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs) offer exciting opportunities to create stimuli-responsive materials. We are exploring new synthetic strategies that afford access to stimuli-responsive FLP polymers.

Sustainable Polymers

A major emphasis of our research is to pioneer new chemistries that mitigate the harmful global impacts of polymer waste. Project areas include sustainable fluoropolymers, photodegradable polymers, and plastic waste upcycling.