The Harth Lab is developing polymerization techniques to make specialized polymer materials with applications in industry and the biomedical field. Metal –organic synthesis and radical polymerization techniques explored to find new polymerization pathways to bridge the gap between monomer families such as olefins and acrylates. The invented metal-organic Insertion/Light Initiated Radical (MILRad) polymerization allows us to design distinct block copolymer architectures with selected functionalities in a one-step process guided by light irradiation.

Nano-networks built from intermolecular crosslinking and photoactivation processes are explored as drug delivery systems and additives in plastics. Hydrogels built from organic crosslinked backbones are developed as biomaterials are used to explore the fundamental understanding of cellular processes in tissues.