December 2017: Esra Altay

Esra Altay, 6th-year PhD student in Prof. Rzayev’s group

• First-author publication: Esra Altay, Dmytro Nykypanchuk, and Javid Rzayev, “Mesoporous Polymer Frameworks from End-Reactive Bottlebrush Copolymers”, ACS Nano, 2017, 11 (8), pp 8207–8214

"My graduate research is primarily focused on the synthesis of reactive bottlebrush copolymers and their use in forming macromolecular architectures such as star-brush polymers, network structures, hydrogels, and nanogels. Our goal has been to develop new synthetic approaches for the synthesis of macromolecular architectures to contribute in understanding structure-property relationships.

As a graduate student, UB has allowed me to gain expertise and expand my knowledge in my field.  I feel very fortunate to be a member of the Rzayev group where there is always opportunities provided to improve ourselves technically and intellectually.

I like travelling and reading. I enjoy exploring Buffalo area and the events it offers, such as, concerts, festivals, and theaters with family and friends."