Daniel T. Glatzhofer

Research Areas: Materials, Organic
Email: dtglatzhofer@ou.edu
Office: SLSRC 3160

Education:
B.S., 1979, Denison University, Granville, Ohio
Ph.D., 1984, University of Michigan 
Postdoc, 1984-1986, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
Postdoc, 1987-1988, Ohio State University 

Synthesis and Characterization of Polymer Scaffolds

Our group's research interests lie primarily in the use of organic, organometallic, and polymer chemistry to design, synthesize and characterize new materials with unique and potentially useful electronic properties. Electronic properties are meant here in a broad sense and along with synthesis, special interest is given to the electronic (conductivity, photoconductivity and magnetic), optical (absorption, fluorescence), electrochemical (ionic conductivity, electropolymerization and redox behavior), and physical (structure, morphology) characterization of these materials.

Most recently, we have been involved in capitalizing on the high density of proton doner/acceptor moieties in linear poly(ethylenimine) (LPEI) as a scaffold for the fabrication of polymer electrolyte membranes for H2/O2 fuel cells. Further, by attaching redox active species to the LPEI and cross-linking it in the presence of enzymes, bio-anodes and bio–cathodes can be fabricated for use in glucose sensors and glucose/O2 biofuel cells. We are synthesizing structural variants of LPEI to explore structure/property relationships and investigate the factors that control speciation, electron, and ion mobility in these systems. Since the nitrogen atoms in LPEI can coordinate to lithium cations, we have also been studying these materials as potential lithium-conducting solid polymer electrolytes for battery applications.