William Weber

Summary Statement of Research Interests

Professor Weber’s research focuses on two areas of novel polymer synthesis. The first is the ruthenium “(Ph3P)2RuCO” (Ru) catalyzed step-growth copolymerization of aromatic ketones with divinylsilanes and a,w-divinyldisiloxanes. This reaction involves C-H activation and results in anti-Markovnikov addition of the C-H bonds of the aromatic ketones across the C-C double bonds of the vinyl silane. Related to this effort, new catalysts have been prepared and their X-ray structure determined. A novel route to prepare poly(silyl ethers) by Ru catalyzed hydrosilylation reaction between diketones and a,w-bis(Si-H)oligosiloxanes has been discovered. His second area of research focuses on the preparation of polysiloxanes with narrow molecular weight distributions and controlled microstructure by ring opening polymerization of substituted cyclotrisiloxanes.

• USC Raubenheimer Outstanding Senior Faculty Award, 2001