Prof Philip Hodge

• Polymer-supported reactions
• Chiral catalysts
• Organic synthesis using bench-top flow systems
• Combinatorial chemistry
• Polymer synthesis
• RAFT polymerization
• Electroactive polymers
• High Performance polymers
• Applications of cyclic oligomers
• Anthraquinones and quinone-containing polymers

We carry our research at the organic chemistry-polymer chemistry interface. One major area is using reactive polymers to facilitate organic synthesis. Thus, we are interested in polymer-supported (PS) reagents and catalysts, especially PS chiral catalysts which afford products in high enantiomeric excesses, organic reactions in bench-top flow systems and separations achieved using PS species; syntheses of macrocycles from polymers; combinatorial syntheses, especially those which afford macrocyclic libraries; and PS methods for screening soluble libraries.

We are also interested in the application of organic synthesis skills to facilitate syntheses of novel polymers. Thus, we are interested in syntheses of polymers with extended p-electron systems, especially electroactive polymers; polymer syntheses exploiting olefin metathesis; RAFT polymerizations and ring-opening polymerizations of macrocycles.

1963 PhD at University of Manchester.
1963-5 Postdoctoral Fellow at the Dyson Perrins Laboratory, University of Oxford.
1965-6 Postdoctoral Fellow at Syntex Research, California.
1966-89 Lecturer through to Professor, Chemistry Department, University of Lancaster.
1989-present Professor of Polymer Chemistry, University of Manchester
1999 Royal Society of Chemistry Prize for Contributions to Polymer Chemistry.
2005 Macro group- Society of Chemical Industry Silver Medal for Contributions to Polymer Science

Secretary and Treasurer of the “High Polymer Research Group” Annual Conferences held at Shrigley Hall, Pott Shrigley, Cheshire.