Research
Polymer Chemistry
Principal Investigators: Dr. Mark Dadmun & Dr. Brian Long August 2020-Present
This research aims to understand further and simplify current methods of chemically recycling polymer waste. This project monitors the depolymerization of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), TritanTM, Polycarbonate, and Polylactic acid (PLA) to isolate depolymerized oligomers for repolymerization, which has been successful. This work investigates how crystal size, solvent-polymer compatibility, and functional group reactivity affect depolymerization.
Biochemistry
Principal Investigators: Dr. Jamie Wallen January 2019-May 2020
The focus of this project is on the DNA replication mechanisms in mycobacteriophages, which are viruses that infect mycobacterial hosts such as Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We are interested in the multifunctional replication enzyme called primase/polymerase (prim-pol).
Publications
1. Watson-Sanders, S., Dadmun, M.D., (2024). More Efficient Chemical Recycling of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) by Intercepting Intermediates. ChemSusChem.. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202301698
2. Peller, J. R.; Durlam, N.; Flaherty, Y.; Valicevic, A.; Davis, C. M.; Watson, S.; Tournebise, J. E.; Medina-Garcia, J. A.; Dadmun, M.; Mezyk, S. P. Incognito forms of polyethylene small micro and nanoplastics in solvents: Changes in molecular vibrations. Sci. Total Environ. 2025, 968, 178923. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178923.
3. Mendez, N. F.; Sharma, V.; Valsecchi, M.; Pai, V.; Lee, J. K.; Schadler, L. S.; Müller, A. J.; Watson-Sanders, S.; Dadmun, M.; Kumaraswamy, G.; et al. Mechanism of quiescent nanoplastic formation from semicrystalline polymers. Nature Communications 2025, 16 (1). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58233-3.
4. Marsee, J., Brambley, C., Jansch, A., Khan, L., Taylor, K., Watson-Sanders, S., Williams, B., Wolvington, A., Wallen, J., Weiland, M., Miller, J., “Expansion and Classification of Poly(Aspartic Acid) Hydrolases through the Identification of Four New PahZ1 Homologs“ [Manuscript in preparation]. Department of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University
5. Watson-Sanders, S., Dadmun, M. et al. (2025)“Reactivity of Carbonates and Esters in the Depolymerization of Plastic Waste” [Manuscript in preparation]. Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee Knoxville
6. Watson-Sanders, S., Dadmun, M. et al. (2025)“Modifying Consumer Poly(ethylene Terephthalate) before Glycolysis to Isolate Tailored Telechelic Oligomers” [Manuscript in preparation]. Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee Knoxville