4/5/2022 Emily Jankauski
Christopher Evans is an honoree of the 2022 American Chemistry Society, Division of Polymer Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) Young Investigator Symposium. The MatSE assistant professor is being recognized for his early career research accomplishments in the field of polymer science and engineering.
Written by Emily Jankauski
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Christopher Evans is an honoree of the 2022 American Chemistry Society, Division of Polymer Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) Young Investigator Symposium. The MatSE assistant professor is being recognized for his early career research accomplishments in the field of polymer science and engineering.
“Being selected is a great honor, particularly when I see the rest of the awardees,” said Evans, who is one of 20 honorees. “It feels like the work we do is making an impact in the polymers community.”
Evans’ accomplishments will be celebrated at a symposium, where he and the other honorees will present at the 2022 Fall American Chemical Society Meeting, held Aug. 21-25, in Chicago, Ill. The date of the symposium is still to be determined.
His biggest contribution to materials science? Leading the frontier in researching two emerging areas of polymer science — dynamic covalent bonded networks and ionically conductive polymer design. Polymers are the substance that makes plastic. His group makes innovative contributions to systems which are self-healing and can be recycled back to their starting materials.
“Not only do they (the dynamic bonds and ionic groups) lead to recyclability and self-healing, but they can also impart functionality to energy storage materials, damping polymers and efficient membranes in a way not possible with traditional polymers,” Evans said.
Evans also aims to make durable materials for batteries to create much more reliable energy storage systems.
“(It would) potentially better long-term performance,” Evans said.
“Polymers, which have dynamic bonds, can also lead to self-healing coatings,” he added. “(The coatings) protect all kinds of equipment — from corrosion and other types of failure. Membranes, which allow for easier separations of molecules, will greatly reduce the amount of energy we need in refineries, which saves money and cuts emissions.”
Evans started working with polymers as an undergraduate researcher at the University of Minnesota, where he received a bachelor’s in chemical engineering and chemistry.
“I found the work very interesting,” he said. “Being allowed to synthesize materials and characterize them was instrumental to my pursuit of a career in polymers.”
Now in his sixth year at MatSE, he delights in sharing that passion with his students.
“My favorite part of being a polymer scientist is being able to transfer knowledge to the students in my classes as well as my research group,” Evans said. “Being able to show them how to make a polymer or how to design a structure that will be optimal for a given application is very rewarding.”
Evans hopes this award continues furthering the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s “reputation as a major player in soft materials and polymers.”
"We have so many talented researchers across ranks,” he said. “We hope that our legacy will be able to elevate the design of polymers using dynamic chemistries, which can lead to unprecedented responses and unparalleled performance.”