Annie McCue

Research interests in the McCue lab lie at the intersection of inorganic and polymer chemistries. We aim to systematically design, synthesize, and characterize metal-based complexes for eventual polymer synthesis through ring-opening polymerization (ROP) techniques. Our goal is to synthesize degradable polymers with tunable properties, and to answer questions about how changing the structure of the inorganic catalyst used (i.e., central metal ion, ligand backbone flexibility, electronic and steric variants) affects the robustness and efficacy of the polymerizations at hand. Through this research, UST students will learn organic and inorganic synthetic techniques, extensive NMR and IR characterization techniques, polymer characterization techniques, and about kinetic and mechanistic analyses. These studies will help propel the polymer field toward improved catalyst design for the future! If you are interested in joining the McCue lab, please contact Dr. McCue.