Peter’s Research Interests

Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of British Columbia

Ph.D. Chemistry Queen’s University

Honours Bachelor of Science, University of Calgary

 

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Erasable Paper/Transient Documents: A low cost paper that can be used repeatedly to save energy and mitigate paper manufacturing and disposal costs.
• Electronic Reimageable Paper: Development of low cost paper surrogates and reflective displays based on reversible particle migration.
• Smart Materials: Use of block copolymers as supramolecular materials; self-assembly; photonic device materials; large area microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
• Ink Dispersion Stabilizers: Developed telechelic polymers for stabilizing aqueous pigment dispersions.
• Living free radical polymerization: Development of a living free radical polymerization capable of producing high molecular weight, narrow polydispersity resins as well as unique architectures such as block, star and brush polymers and copolymers.
• Synthesis and characterization of novel electronic materials: Synthesis of functionalized dendrimers; functionalized arborols; structure property relationships in photogeneration; hole and electron transport materials; spiropyran photochromic and thermochromic systems; solution and solid state properties of pigments; solid state and solution NMR investigation of electronic materials.
• Computer simulation and modeling: Use of molecular orbital calculations to predict pigment electronic spectra; calculations of pigment band structure and investigation of crystallochromy and quantum interference effect; molecular modeling of crystal aggregates.

 

ACADEMIC HISTORY

Queen’s University, Department of Chemistry                                          1993 – 2014

Adjunct Professor                                                                               1999 – 2014

• A member of the Queen’s Chemistry Innovation Council. Advise the department head on new educational initiatives and facilitate chemistry department interactions with industry.
• Determined the design factors which influence the operation of electronic switches, particularly in the solid state.
• Co-supervised and graduated 5 graduate students.

 

Associate Adjunct Professor                                                                  1993 – 1999

• Acquired NSERC grants with a value of just under 300K.
• Co-supervised 4 graduate students. One student went on to assume senior management responsibilities with major US high tech electronics firms.
• Developed methodology for solubilizing and aggregating photoactive pigments.

 

Graduate Supervision

• Co-supervised: Andrew J. McKerrow (Ph. D. 1993); Joanna Yee (M. Sc.- 1995); Kap Soo Cheon (Ph. D. 1996); James Wojtyk (Ph. D.-1999); Asri Ghani (Ph.D. 2000) ; Ad Wasey (M. Sc. 2002); Dhalia Abdallah (M.Sc. 2006), Jamie Whelan (M. Sc. 2006), Dildar Ali (M.Sc. 2007)

 

Cornell University

Visiting Fellow                                                                                         1991 – 1992

• Participated in Professor Roald Hoffmann‘s research group as a Visiting Fellow. Extended Hückel methods were applied to calculation of the band structure of photogenerator pigments.