Frank Bates

Regents Professor

Contact Information
Email: bates001@umn.edu
Phone: 612/624-0839

Education
B.S., Mathematics, State University of New York at Albany, 1976
S.M., Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
1979
Sc.D., Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
1982

Research Areas
Biological Engineering
Materials Processing
Materials Theory
Polymer Science & Engineering

Research Interests
The central theme of our research program derives from a desire to better understand the thermodynamics and
dynamics of polymers and polymer mixtures. Three broad areas of investigation have been developed for
addressing these issues: polymer synthesis, chemical modication, and molecular characterization; structural
analysis by neutron, X-ray, and light scattering, and electron microscopy; dynamical characterization through
rheological and processing measurements. These eorts address issues in each eld individually, as well as
contributing to our central goals.
Anionic and living free-radical polymerization represent the primary synthetic tools with which we control polymer
molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, microstructure, and chain architecture. Subsequent modications
(eg. catalytic hydrogenation) provide for the preparation of model functionalized (eg. saturated) polymers.
Molecular characterization techniques include NMR, size exclusion chromatography, and light scattering.
Establishing the phase behavior and excess thermodynamic properties of polymer mixtures and block copolymers is
accomplished through extensive use of small-angle neutron scattering and neutron reection at national facilities,
along with X-ray and light scattering conducted in our laboratory. We are particularly interested in elucidating the
molecular mechanisms governing nanoscale morphology formation in melts and solutions, especially in aqueous
systems, and related applications.

Polymer phase state is often correlated with rheological properties, particularly for block copolymers, which we
investigate in conjunction with the scattering experiments.
This basic research program aects a variety of technologically important elds, including polymer processing,
composites, fracture mechanics, separations, catalysis, and drug delivery.

Selected Publications
Sphericity and Symmetry Breaking in the Formation of Frank-Kasper Phases From One Component Materials, by S.
Lee, C. Leighton, F.S. Bates, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111, 17723 (2014)
Multiblock Polymers: Panacea or Pandoras Box? by F.S. Bates, M.A. Hillmyer, T.P. Lodge, C.M. Bates, K.T. Delaney
and G.H. Fredrickson, Science, 336, 434-440 (2012).
Dodecagonal Quasicrystalline Morphology in a Poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene-b-ethylene oxide) Tetrablock
Terpolymer, by J. Zhang and F.S. Bates, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134, 7636-7639 (2012).
Structure and Dynamics of Elastomeric Multiblock Terpolymers containing Glassy, Rubbery and Semicrystalline
Blocks, by F. Zuo, C.G. Alfonso and F.S. Bates, Macromolecules, 44, 8143-8153 (2011).
Discovery of a Frank-Kasper sigma-Phase in Sphere Forming Block Copolymer Melts, by S. Lee, M.J. Bluemle and
F.S. Bates, Science, 330, 349-353 (2010).
"Molecular Exchange in Diblock Copolymer Micelles: Hypersensitivity to Core Chain Length," by S.-H. Choi, T.P. Lodge
and F.S. Bates, Phys. Rev. Lett.,104, 047802 (2010).
"Mechanical Consequences of Molecular Composition on Failure in Polyolen Composites Containing Glassy,
Elastomeric, and Semicrystalline Components" by M.K. Mahanthappa, M.A. Hillmyer and F.S. Bates, Macromolecules,
41, 1341 (2008).
"Disordered Network State in Hydrated Block Copolymer Surfactants" by S. Jain, X. Gong, L.E. Scriven and F.S. Bates,
Phys. Rev. Lett., 96, 138304 (2006).
"Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Semicrystalline-Rubbery-Semicrystalline Triblock Copolymers" by C.M.
Koo, L. Wu, L.S. Lim, M.K. Mahanthappa, M.A. Hillmyer and F.S. Bates, Macromolecules, 38, 6090 (2005).
"Ordered Network Phases in Linear Poly(Isoprene-b-Styrene-b-Ethylene Oxide) Triblock Copolymers," by T.H. Epps,
III, E.W. Cochran, T.S. Bailey, R.S. Waletzko, C.M. Hardy and F.S. Bates, Macromolecules, 37, 8325 (2004).
"Shear-induced Network-to-Network Transition in a Block Copolymer Melt," by E.W. Cochran and F.S. Bates, Phys.
Rev. Lett., 93, 087802 (2004).
"On the Origins of Morphological Complexity in Aqueous Dispersions of Block Copolymer Surfactants," by S. Jain and
F.S. Bates, Science, 300, 460 (2003).
"High Strength Welds in Metallocene Polypropylene/Polyethylene Laminates," by K.A. Chan, J.S. Knutsen, F.S., Bates
and P. Brant, Science, 288, 2187 (2000).
"Giant Wormlike Rubber Micelles," by Y.-Y. Won, H.T. Davis and F.S. Bates, Science, 283, 960 (1999).
"Block Copolymers - Designer Soft Materials," by F.S. Bates and G.H. Fredrickson, Physics Today, 52, 32 (1999).
"Polymersomes: Vesicles Made from Diblock Copolymers," by B.M. Discher, Y.-Y. Won, D.S. Ege, J. C.-M. Lee, F.S.
Bates, D.E. Discher and D.A. Hammer, Science, 284, 1143 (1999).