Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin go to home page university of texas at austin college of engineering U T direct
Isaac C. Sanchez, PhD
William J. (Bill) Murray, Jr. Endowed Chair of Engineering and Associate Chair


photo of Isaac C. Sanchez
Office: CPE 3.414 Mailing Address:
Phone: (512) 471-1020 The University of Texas at Austin
Fax: -- Department of Chemical Engineering
Email: sanchez@che.utexas.edu 1 University Station C0400
UT Mail: C0400 Austin, TX 78712-0231

Presentation Made to Prospective Graduate Students 2008

Educational Qualifications:
William J. Murray, Jr. Endowed Chair in Engineering;
Ph.D., University of Delaware (1969);
NRC/NAS Postdoctoral Research Associate (1969-71);
Fellow of the American Physical Society (1979);
U.S. Department of Commerce: Bronze Medal (1980), Silver Medal (1983);
Edward U. Condon Award, National Bureau of Standards (1983);
Engineering Foundation Faculty Excellence Award, College of Engineering, UT Austin (1994);
Harold A. Morton Distinguished Visiting Professorship, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio (1995);
SPE International Research Award (1996);
Member, National Academy of Engineering(1997)

Focus:
Statistical thermodynamics of bulk and interfacial phenomena in polymer liquids, solutions and blends; solubility of fluids in polymers; computer simulations of polymer properties.


Molecular mechanics models polymer-polymer interactions

Research:
Our research covers a broad spectrum of problems in polymer science and engineering that has led to molecular theories and models of polymer crystallization, liquid viscosity, polymer solution and blend thermodynamics, liquid surface tensi on, polymer interfacial phenomena, microphase separation in graft and star copolymers, and gas permeation through polymers.

  • A signature of this work is the development of equation-of-state models and corresponding states relations that govern the bulk and surface thermodynamic properties of polymer liquids and solutions. Most recently, we have embarked on a study of the solubility of polymers in water. Our goal is to understand the factors that control polymer solubility and conformation. Ultimately, we would like to establish the role of water in assisting protein fold ing and unfolding. Computer simulations, both Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics are used in this investigation.

Selected Publications

  • "Free Volume Properties of Model Fluids and Polymers: Shape and Connectivity," J Poly Sci. B, 44, 1385, 2006 (with F. T. Willmore and X. Wang)
  • "Molecular Simulation and Experimental Study of Substituted Polyacetylenes: Fractional Free Volume, Cavity Size Distributions and Diffusion Coefficients," J. Phys. Chem. B, 110,12666, 2006 (with X.-Y. Wang, R. D. Raharjo, H. J. Lee, Y. Lu, and B. D. Freeman)
  • " Molecular Simulations of Physical Aging in Polymer Membrane Materials," J. Phys. Chem. B, 110,16685, 2006 (with X.-Y. Wang, F. T. Willmore, R. D. Raharjo, X. Wang, B. D. Freeman, and Anita J. Hill)
  • "Anomolous Sorption of Supercritical Fluids on Polymer Thin Films," Langmuir, 22, 9251, 2006 (with X. Wang)
  • "Ordering in Asymmetric Block Copolymer Films by a Compressible Fluid ," J. Phys. Chem. B, 111, 16, 2007 (with Y. Li, X. Wang,  K. P. Johnston, and P. F. Green)
  • "Gas Diffusion in Glasses via a Probabilistic Molecular Dynamics," J. Chem. Phys., 126, 234502, 2007 (with F. T. Wilmore)
 

 

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