Computing catalysts—team unlocks the molecular secrets to a popular polymer
Thursday, August 23, 2018 - 12:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Polyisobutylene (PIB) is a workhorse polymer that is found in a multitude of products, ranging from chewing gum, to tires, to engine oil and gasoline additives. Although commercially produced in large quantities since the 1940s, PIB chemistry was a mystery—scientists weren't sure how the reaction mechanism that creates the polymer happens at the molecular level, which limited further potential.