Macromolecular Science
and Engineering Center

  • Richard (Rick) Laine, Macro Director
  • Department of Materials Science & Engineering
  • Macromolecular Science & Engineering Center
  • 2200 H. H. Dow, 2300 Hayward St
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2136

Short Biosketch

Richard M. Laine is currently a full Professor in the Dept. of MSE and Director of the Macromolecular Science and Engineering Center. He received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Southern California in 1973 (Prof. Robert Bau). Following three years of postdoctoral study (R.F. Heck, Univ. Delaware; P.C. Ford, UCSB), he worked at SRI International for 11 years, last as Associate Director of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Programs, where he supervised 13 professionals including 7 Ph.Ds. A change in interests led to the positions of Full Research Professor in the Dept. of MSE at the University of Washington and Director of the Polymeric Materials Laboratory in the Washington Technology Center. Dr. Laine joined UM in 1990 as Associate professor without tenure and became a full tenured professor in 1998. He became Macro director in Jan., 2006.

Awards/Honors

Current Research

Research in Laine group has been supported by NSF IGERT, AFOSR, U.S. Army, and multiple industrial sources including Canon, Delphi, Panasonic, Federal Mogul, Motorola, etc.

Nanobuilding Blocks, Star Molecules

We have developed a series of octasilsesquioxanes, with cubic symmetry and 1 nm diameters that offer the opportunity to place functional groups in each octant in Cartesian space. The I8 octaphenylsilsesquioxane (OPS) at left offers access to a wide variety of conjugated molecules that are thermally very robust, soluble and show novel photonic properties that we are investigating.

Self-lubricating nanoball bearing

Again building on OPS, we find that alkylation of the central rigid, thermally robust core provides access to materials whose melting point can be controlled and that stay liquid over a 300°C range. Furthermore, branched chain alkyls provide interdigitated structures, in the melt, that offer oxidation resistance up to 100°C higher than simple alkyls. These materials offer potential to serve as new types of high temperature lubricants. They also offer potential access to nano-gears and perhaps most exciting, they may provide the starting point for the creation of materials that act like nano Velcro.

3-D Nanocomposite Networks

Research in this area combines OPS derived materials with those of Q8 systems, [RSiMe2OSiO1.5]8 which also offer cubic symmetry and can be made from waste silica in 90% yield. We are able to tailor the properties of these nanocomposites to control coefficients of thermal expansion, gas barrier properties, hardness and mechanical strength. We are exploring these materials for control of dielectric constants, refractive indices, transparency, corrosion and abrasion resistance.

Transparent Polycrystalline Ceramics

Half of the Laine group works on the synthesis, processing and properties of very novel nanopowders including transparent upconverting phosphors as shown to the left. Here an oxide nanopowder of composition (Y0.86Yb0.11Er0.03)2O3 was consolidated and sintered to 1400°C to produce a 400 nm grain size, transparent disk of 1 x 12 mm. On irradiation with 960 nm light, this material couples two 980 nm light photons to produce 662 nm red light. Transparent materials offer access to numerous of new structures including polycrystalline lasers, ceramic armor, hip implants, etc.

Still other research topics in Laine group include the development of new materials for automotive applications, studies directed towards materials with novel electronic and photonic properties including OLEDs, white light devices, and photovoltaics. We are particularly interested in the assembly of materials nanometer by nanometer in 1-, 2- or 3-D using cubic silsesquioxanes.

List of Recent and Top Cited Publications

  1. R.M. Laine, F. Babonneau, "Preceramic Polymer Routes to SiC," Chem. Mat. 5, 260-79 (1993)
    Times Cited: 190
  2. C.X. Zhang, F. Babonneau, C. Bonhomme, et al., "Highly Porous Polyhedral Silsesquioxane Polymers: Synthesis And Characterization," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120, 8380-8391, (1998)
    Times Cited: 109
  3. A. Sellinger, R.M. Laine, "Silsesquioxanes As Synthetic Platforms: Thermally Curable and Photocurable Inorganic/Organic Hybrids," Macromol. 29, 2327-30, (1996)
    Times Cited: 95
  4. J.W. Choi, J. Harcup, A.F. Yee et al., "Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Composites From Cubic Silsesquioxanes," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123 11420-30 (2001)
    Times Cited: 92
  5. A. Sellinger, R.M.Laine, "Silsesquioxanes As Synthetic Platforms .3. Photocurable, Liquid Epoxides As Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Precursors," Chem. Mater. 8 1592 (1996)
    Times Cited: 75
  6. C.X. Zhang, R.M. Laine, "Hydrosilylation of Allyl Alcohol With [HSiMe2OSiO1.5]8: Octa(3-hydroxy-propyldi-methylsiloxy)octasilsesquioxane And Its Octamethacrylate Derivative As Potential Precursors to Hybrid Nanocomposites," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122, 6979-88 (2000)
    Times Cited: 71
  7. R.M. Laine, J.W.Choi, I. Lee, "Organic-Inorganic Nanocomposites With Completely Defined Interfacial Interactions," Adv. Materials 13, 800-3, (2001)
    Times Cited: 65
  8. C.X. Zhang, R.M. Laine, "Silsesquioxanes As Synthetic Platforms .2. Epoxy-Functionalized Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Species," J. Organometal. Chem. 521 199-201 1996
    Times Cited: 61
  9. R.Tamaki, Y. Tanaka, M.Z. Asuncion, et al., "Octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane As A Nanoconstruction Site," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123, 12416-12417, (2001)
    Times Cited: 54
  10. R.O.R. Costa, W.L. Vasconcelo, R. Tamaki, "Organic/Inorganic Nanocomposite Star Polymers Via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate Using Octafunctional Silsesquioxane Cores," Macromol. 34, 5398-5407, (2001)
    Times Cited: 49

Teaching