John R. Dorgan
Professor
Site Director - Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels
Research Description
I believe
in balancing experimental work with theoretical and modeling studies.
Theoretical models provide the framework for interpreting experimental
results available from rheology, ellipsometry, microscopy, and spectroscopy
experiments. I am working to advance the science and technology of biobased
polymers, polymer membranes, and the computer simulation of polymeric
materials.
Ecological concerns are a predominant theme for the 21st century; humanity must
develop sustainable systems for materials and fuels. Biologically derived and
inspired materials offer hope for achieving this important goal. Also, nanotechnology
is rapidly expanding and its convergence with both biology and ecology is now
being recognized. Ecobionanocomposites are a new class of green materials that
exploit this triple convergence of technologies and are an active area of investigation
within my group. In this technical area, we work to maximize the renewable content
of these next-generation plastics materials under the guidelines
of the principles of green chemistry.
The long-term transition away from fossil fuels towards a sustainable system
of providing fuels and materials is the greatest technical challenge facing humanity.
Our efforts are aimed at improving the efficiency of present systems while working
to develop new technologies that are inherently more environmentally benign and
sustainable. Clearly, this is an important and exciting area in which to work
and there is much to be done!
selected Publications
Molecular Scale Simulation of Homopolymer Wall Slip, John R. Dorgan, Nicholas A. Rorrer, Physical Review Letters, 110, 176001 (2013). (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.176001)
Parameter Free Prediction of Rheological Properties of Homopolymer Melts by Dynamic Monte Carlo Simulation, John R. Dorgan, Nicholas A. Rorrer, C. Mark Maupin, Macromolecules, 45(12) 8833-8840 (2012). (DOI: 10.1021/ma301307d)
Supra-Molecular EcoBioNanocomposites Based on Polylactide and Cellulosic Nanowhiskers: Synthesis and Properties, Birgit Braun, John R. Dorgan, Laura O. Hollingsworth, Biomacromolecules, 13(7), 2013-2019 (2012).
Thermal and mechanical properties of cassava and pineapple flours-filled PLA bio-composites, Ki-Wook Kim, Byoung-Ho Lee, Hyun-Joong Kim, Klanarong Sriroth, John R. Dorgan, Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 108 (3) 1131-1139 (2012).
Next-generation biopolymers: Advanced functionality and improved sustainability, Peter Halley, John R. Dorgan (editors) MRS Bulletin, 36, September, 687-691 (2011).
Solution and Melt Viscoelastic Properties of Controlled Microstructure Poly(lactide) Norhayani Othman, Alberto Acosta-Ramirez, Parisa Mehrkhodavandi, John R. Dorgan, Savvas G. Hatzikiriakos, Journal of Rheology 55(5), 987-1005 (2011).