I'm currently interested in developing course-based research experiences for undergraduates and making molecular science accessible to the general public.

I received my B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1984 and Ph.D. in Materials Science in 1989 from the University of Illinois. Thereafter, I was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Caltech and an assistant professor at the University of Michigan before joining the faculty in 1993. I served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Chemical Society from 1999-2013. I am a member of the Beckman Institute.

Current research focuses on polymer mechanochemistry; light-weight, high-strength organic materials; morphogenic manufacturing; self-healing polymers as part of the Autonomic Materials Systems group at the Beckman Institute.

The Moore group is dedicated to the professional development of next-generation scientists and educators who will impact the world with their skills and knowledge. The group’s research integrates ideas from physical organic chemistry and engineering with polymer synthesis to invent mechanically responsive materials. Motivated by the technological need for materials that are safer and last longer, experiments are designed to understand the fundamental science of mechanochemical transduction, which in turn helps in the design of polymers that produce chemical signals or undergo chemical reactions following mechanical activation. Specific examples include materials that heal themselves, warn of high stress, or repair electrical circuits.

New Polymeric Materials

Compartmentalization and On-demand Release

Functional Membranes for Water Purification

Molecular Modulators for Controlled Growth of Fibrillar Networks

Touch-and-Go Reactions  

Self-Healing Polymers 

Mechanochemistry

Shock wave energy dissipation (SWED) by Mechanochemically Active Materials

Autonomically adaptive materials

Mechanoacids

Energy Storage Materials

The Role of Macromolecular Architecture on Redox Active Molecules

Stanley O. Ikenberry Endowed Chair
Stephanie L. Kwolek Award, Royal Society of Chemistry
Member, National Academy of Sciences
Edward Leete Award, American Chemical Society
Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Fellow, American Chemical Society
Fellow, Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering (PMSE)
Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
UIUC Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
LAS Dean's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

University of Illinois
3351 Beckman Institute, MC-251
405 North Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801