Department of Chemistry

School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Dennis W Smith
Robert A WelchChair Chemistry
BE 2.324
972-883-2782


Smith Group Homepage

Dennis W. Smith Jr.

Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry, #2

Bio

Dr. Dennis W. Smith, Jr. received his B.S. (1988) from Missouri State University and his Ph.D. (1992) from the University of Florida under the guidance of Prof. Ken Wagener on the scope and mechanism of acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization. He was a Rhone Poulenc Graduate Research Fellow in Lyon, France pursuing novel silicone elastomers, and a Dow Chemical Postdoctoral Fellow (1993) in Rheinmünster, Germany exploring fundamental aspects of epoxy networks.

Dr. Smith joined The Dow Chemical Company Central Research Laboratory as Sr. Research Chemist (1993), and later was promoted to Project Leader (1996) working primarily on the synthesis and characterization of high performance thermosets for thin film microelectronics applications. Dr. Smith was an original member of the team that invented and implemented SiLK™ Semiconductor Dielectric resins, which led to commercial production (see: Chem. & Eng. News, November 20, 2000, p. 17). He received three Dow Chemical Special Recognition Awards and was a recipient of the 1997 Dow Chemical Central Research Inventor of the Year Award before joining Clemson in 1998 at the rank of Assistant Professor. Dr. Smith was promoted to Associate Professor in 2001, granted early tenure in 2002, promoted to Professor of Chemistry in 2006, and in 2008, he accepted joint appointment as Professor of Material Science & Engineering at Clemson.

In 2010, Prof. Smith joined The University of Texas at Dallas as Robert A. Welch Professor of Chemistry. Also in 2010, Dr. Smith was elected as Fellow of The American Chemical Society.

Dr. Smith's research has led to many awards and recognitions. He is a recipient of a National Science Foundation Early Faculty CAREER Award, Cottrell Scholar of Research Corporation, Intel Polymer Workshop Keynote Speaker 2007, 2008 Charles H. Stone Award "for the most outstanding chemist in the southeastern United States".

Dr. Smith is a founding member and, prior to joining UT Dallas, he was Associate Director of Clemson's Center for Optical Materials Science & Engineering Technologies (COMSET). He has served the American Chemical Society as a member of the National Young Chemist Committee and most notably within the Division of Polymer Chemistry as National Meeting Symposia and Workshops Chair, Publicity Chair (1998-2000), Assistant Secretary (2000–2002), Workshops Committee Chair, IUPAC Liaison (2006 - 2009), and as Founder and Organizing Chair of the international conference, FLUOROPOLYMER 2000 – 2010, and POLYCOM: Commercial Innovations and Opportunities in Polymer Science 2008.

Dr. Smith won national election to the post of ACS Councilor representing the Division of Polymer Chemistry on ACS Council (2002-2005) and in 2007 he was elected Vice Chair of the Division of Polymer Chemistry. He served as Chair-Elect in 2008 and currently serves as the 2009 Chair of the Division. Dr. Smith is Editor of the journal, Polymer Bulletin, serves on the editorial board for High Performance Polymers and Polymers for Advanced Technology, and he is currently Editor for the Handbook of Fluoropolymer Science and Technology, in progress with Wiley & Sons.

Dr. Smith has over 100 publications and 15 US patents/applications.

Education

  • B.S. Chemistry and Mathematics, Missouri State University, 1988
  • Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Florida, 1992

Research Interests

Broad research interests include synthesis, mechanism, structure/property relationships, and applications of polymeric materials and composites including but not limited to:

  • fluoropolymers from aromatic trifluorovinyl ethers and other fluoroolefins for optical, energy conversion, and tailored surface applications
  • polyarylene networks and carbon structures from micro and nano processable intermediates via bis-ortho-diynyl arene (BODA) monomers
  • renewable polymers based on aliphatic polyesters (e.g., PLA, PHA, and derivatives)
  • reground car tire rubber recycling via functionalization and composite formulation and carbonization
  • novel carbon fiber precursor polymers based on copolymers with acrylonitrile
  • thermally reversible crosslinkable resins for smart coatings

Selected Publications

  1. “Polycondensation of Octafluorocyclopentene with Bisphenols Toward Perfluorocyclopentenyl (PFCP) Aryl Ether Polymers”, Smith, D.W. Jr.; Sharma, B.; Brown D.; Christensen, K., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2011, submitted.
  2. “Poly (acrylonitrile-co-1-vinylimidazole): A new melt processable carbon fiber precursor” Deng W.; Lobovsky A.; Iacono S.T.; Wu T.; Tomar N.; Budy S.M.; Long T.; Hoffman W.P.; Smith, Jr., D.W. Polymer 2011, 52, 622-628.
  3. “Functionalization of Used Tire Rubber by Hydrosilation” Banda, M.; Naskar, A.; Perera, K.P.; Moreland, C.; Hodge, T.; Wallace, K.; Beckham, H.; Smith, Jr., D.W. Rubber Chem. & Tech., 2011, in press.
  4. “Perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) Containing Sulfonated Aryl Ether Sulfone Polymers” Sankhe, A.; Hernandez, R.; Jianyong, J.; Suresh, S.; Topping, C.; Wagener, E.; Creager, S.; Smith, Jr. D.W. Eur. Polymer J. 2011, submitted.
  5. “Preparation of Composite Fluoropolymers with Enhanced Dewetting Using Fluorinated Silsesquioxanes as Drop-In Modifers” Iacono, S.T.; Budy, S.M.; Smith, D.W., Jr. J. Mater. Chem. 2010, 20, 2979-2984.
  6. “Synthesis and Characterization of High Molecular Weight Perfluorocyclobutyl-containing Polybenzimidazoles (PFCB-PBI) for High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells” Qian, G.; Smith, D.W., Jr.; Benicewicz, B. Polymer, 2009, 50, 3911-3916.
  7. “Modular Approach to Chromophore Encapsulation in Fluorinated Aryl Vinyl Ether Polymers Possessing Tunable Photoluminescence” Iacono, S.T.; Budy, S.M.; Smith, R.C.; Smith, D.W., Jr. Macromolecules 2008, 41, 7490-7496.
  8. “Bis-Ortho-Diynyl-Arene C60 Adducts on SnO2 Films for Photoelectrochemical Cells” Saito, K.; Rettenbacher, A.; Smith, D.W., Jr.; Fukuzumi, S. J. Mater. Chem. 2008, 18, 3237–3241.
  9. “High-Temperature Chromophores and Perfluorocyclobutyl Copolymers for Electro-optic Applications” Budy, S.; Suresh, S.; Spraul, B.; Smith, D.W., Jr. J. Physical Chem. C 2008, 112, 8099-8104 (special issue:  Larry Dalton Festschrift).
  10. “Photoluminescence and Ion Sensing Properties of a Bipyridyl Chromophore-Modified Semifluorinated Polymer and its Metallopolymer Derivatives” He, S.; Iacono, S.T.; Budy, S.M.; Dennis, A.E.; Smith, Jr., D.W.; Smith, R.C. J. Mater. Chem. 2008, 18, 1970-1976. (featured on cover).
  11. “Hydrophobic and Oleophobic Fluoroalkyl Functionalized Silsesquioxane Nanostructures” Iacono, S.; Vij, A.; Grabow, W.; Smith, Jr., D.W.; Mabry, J.M. Chem. Commun. 2007, 4961 – 4962. (featured on cover)
  12. “Science and Technology of Perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) Aryl Ether Polymers” Iacono, S.; Budy, S.M.; Jin, J.; Smith, Jr., D.W. J. Polym. Sci. Part A:  Polym. Chem. 2007, 45, 5705-5721.  (Invited Highlight Review featured on cover)
  13. “Alternative Trifluorovinyl Ether Derived Fluoropolymer Membranes and Functionalized Carbon Composite Electrodes for Fuel Cells ”Perpall, M. W.; Smith, Jr., D.W.; DesMarteau, D.D.; Creager, S.E. J. Macromol. Sci. Part C:  Polymer Rev. 2006, 46(2), 297-313 (featured on cover).
  14. “Synthesis and Electronic Factors in Thermal Cyclodimerization of Functionalized Aromatic Trifluorovinyl Ethers” Spraul, B.; Suresh, S.; Jin, J.; Smith, Jr., D.W. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 7055-7064.
  15. “Multicolor Pattern Generation in Photonic Bandgap Composites” Jiang, P.; Smith, Jr., D.W.; Ballato, J.; Foulger, S.H. Adv. Mater. 2005, 2, 179-184 (featured on cover).


  • Updated: August 26, 2011