Karen I. Winey

Research

Karen Winey has made significant contributions to the field of polymer science, particularly in the understanding of and manipulation of unique polymer nanocomposites and ion-containing polymers. She has a strong record of service including as an Associate Editor for Macromolecules, Chair of the Division of Polymer Physics within the American Physical Society, Department Chair of Penn’s Material Science and Engineering Department, and a variety of advisory boards.

The focus of the Winey research group is hierarchical and nanoscale morphologies in polymers and connecting these morphologies to the underlying chemical structure as well as the mechanical, thermal and transport properties of the materials. We employ a variety of experimental and computational tools to probe the structural and physical properties of advanced polymers including X-ray scattering, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and time of flight SIMS. Targeting a variety of energy-related and membrane applications, we study and design functional polymers to improve selective ion and proton conductivity. In polymer nanocomposites, our current interests focus on nanoparticle dynamics across a range of time and length scales. Our newest project focuses on polymer-to-polymer upcycling to convert waste polyolefins to higher value polymers. Our dynamics and highly-cited research group is currently funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences, and industry.

Research Areas:

Soft Matter and Complex Fluids; Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology; Energy and Environmental Engineering; Molecular Simulation and Thermodynamics