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My research activities and program development efforts have focused on the synthesis and processing of new materials for energy related applications. The research projects are designed to be directly relevant to economic or technological challenges and to provide students with practical training. For simplicity, my research can be categorized as follows: 1) Sol-gel science and materials 2) New materials and methods for advanced membranes, and 3) Environmentally responsive materials. My research in sol-gel science is presently focused on making low density, stronger aerogels, new high capacity metal adsorbents, optical waveguide materials, and materials for solar-electric systems. My interests in membranes include new, chemically and thermally stable polyarylene electrolytes, high flux, highly selective gas separation membranes, and membranes whose permeabilities can be modulated. Topics in environmentally responsive materials in my group include a new highly parallel method for discovering hydrodesulfuration catalysts and thermally or photochemically removable encapsulants and adhesives.

Organizations

1. Materials Research Society
2. American Chemical Society
3. Sigma Xi
4. American Ceramic Society
5. International Sol-gel Society

Selected Publications

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1. Boday, D. J.; DeFriend, K. A.; Wilson, K. V.; Coder, D.; Loy, D. A. "Formation of Polycyanoacrylate-Silica Nanocomposites by Chemical Vapor Deposition of Cyanoacrylates on Aerogels." Chem. Mater. 2008, 20, 2845.
2. Zhao, L.; Vaupel, M.; Loy, D. A.; Shea, K. J. "Photoresponsive Hybrid Materials: Synthesis and Characterization of Coumarin-Dimer-Bridged Polysilsesquioxanes."Chem. Mater. 2008, 20, 1870.
3. Zhao, L.; Loy, D. A.; Shea, K. J., “Photodeformable Spherical Hybrid Nanoparticles,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 44, 14250.
4. Khiterer M., Loy D.A., Cornelius C.J., Fujimoto C.H., Small J.H.,
5. McIntire T.M., Shea K.J., “Hybrid polyelectrolyte materials for fuel cell applications: Design, synthesis, and evaluation of proton-conducting bridged polysilsesquioxanes,” Chem. Mater. 2006, 18, 3665-3673.
6. Pang JB, Yang L, Loy DA, et al. “Mesoscopically ordered organosilica and carbon-silica hybrids with uniform morphology by surfactant-assisted self-assembly of organo bis-silanetriols,” Chem. Comm. 2006, 14, 1545.
7. Fujimoto, C. Hicknert, M. A.; Cornelius, C.J.; Loy, D.A. “Ionomeric poly(phenylene) prepared by diels-alder polymerization: Synthesis and physical properties of a novel polyelectrolyte,” Macromolecules, 2005, 38, 5010.
8. Rahimian, K; Loy D. A.; Chen, P. P., “Nonshrinking, photopolymerizable polycarbosiloxanes through ring-opening polymerization of disilaoxacyclopentane monomers,” Chem. Mater., 2005, 17, 1529.
9. Jamison G. M.; Wheeler, D. R.; Loy D. A., et al. “Double phosphaalkyne insertion to a tungsten alkylidene: Formation of a diphosphametallabicyclobutane,” Organometallics, 2005, 24, 2245.
10. McElhanon, J. R.; Zifer, T.; Kline, S. R., et al. “Thermally cleavable surfactants based on furan-maleimide Diels-Alder adducts,” Langmuir, 2005, 21, 3259.
11. Long, T. M.; Simmons, B. A.; McElhanon, J. R.; Kline, S. R.; Wheeler, D. R.; Loy, D. A.; Rahimian, K.; Zifer, T.; Jamison, G. M. “Metathesis Depolymerization for Removable Surfactant Templates.” Langmuir 2005, 21, 9365.
12. Pang, J.B.; John, V. T.; Loy, D.A., et al., “Hierarchical mesoporous carbon/silica nanocomposites from phenyl-bridged organosilane,” Adv. Mater., 2005, 17, 704.
13. Loy, D. A.; Mather, B.; Straumanis, A. R.; Baugher, C.; Schneider, D. A.; Sanchez, A.; Shea, K. J. "Effect of pH on the Gelation Time of Hexylene-Bridged Polysilsesquioxanes." Chem. Mater. 2004, 16, 2041-2043.
14. Schaefer, D. W.; Beaucage, G.; Loy, D. A.; Shea, K. J.; Lin, J. S. "Structure of Arylene-Bridged Polysilsesquioxane Xerogels and Aerogels." Chem. Mater. 2004, 16, 2041-2043.
15. Staiger, Chad L.; Loy, Douglas A.; Jamison, Gregory M.; Schneider, Duane A.; Cornelius, Christopher J., "Development of a Highly Parallel Screening Technique for the Discovery of Hydrodesulfurization Catalysts," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003 125, 9920.
16. Mcelhanon, J. R.; Russick, E. M.; Wheeler, D. R.; Loy, D. A.; Aubert, J. H. "Removable foams based on an epoxy resin incorporating reversible Diels-Alder adducts." J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2002, 85, 1496.