About

Richard Spontak is a Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and a Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at NC State University. His affiliation is with the Macromolecular Morphology and Materials Group within the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. The information provided indicates his academic titles and departmental roles, but does not include specific details about his research focus, background, or key contributions.

Research topics

• Nanotechnology
• Materials science
• Chemistry
• Composite material
• Chemical engineering
• Organic chemistry
• Microbiology
• Photochemistry
• Biology
• Medicine
• Polymer chemistry

Selected publications

• Controlling the surface antimicrobial efficacy of anionic block polymers via film thickness

  Applied Surface Science Advances · 2026-01-09

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  As the global threat of infectious diseases continues to grow due to antimicrobial resistance, novel and non-targeting prevention strategies must be identified and their inactivation mechanisms understood. Upon hydration, styrenic pentablock polymers possessing a partially sulfonated midblock can effectively kill (99.9999+% in most cases) a wide range of contagious pathogens after relatively short exposure times (on the order of minutes) due to the formation of a highly acidic surface contact layer. Here, we demonstrate for a bacterial exemplar that the inactivation efficacy and contact-layer pH of one such anionic block polymer with a constant degree of sulfonation (52 mol%) likewise depend on polymer film thickness, which dictates the proton reservoir available for surface acidification. Our results reveal that the minimum film thickness needed for the polymer to attain the highest inactivation level of ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli after an exposure time of 2 min is about 65 μm. Interestingly, the calculated proton partition coefficient between the microbial suspension and polymer film reaches a maximum at this thickness and decreases for thicker films, suggesting that proton transport within thick films becomes additionally affected by one or more molecular-level processes within the polymer.

  PublisherDOI

• Uptake kinetics and photocrosslinking of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate in the nanostructure of a self-assembled sulfonated pentablock polymer

  Journal of Colloid and Interface Science · 2026-02-23

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Decoding Microstructure–Property Relationships in Poly(urethane–urea) Segmented Copolymers in the Presence of a Selective Plasticizing Agent

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2026-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Multicomponent shape-memory microfibers electrospun with precisely tunable thermal triggers

  Colloids and Surfaces A Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects · 2025-02-09

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are of tremendous fundamental and practical interest as stimuli-responsive soft materials since they can spontaneously transform from one strain state to another upon environmental stimulation. Most SMPs are dense films possessing a single thermal trigger that responds to a change in temperature. In this work, we examine novel shape-memory nonwovens (SMNs) comprised of electrospun microfibers randomly arranged into mats and possessing a trigger that can be precisely varied. These SMNs derive from physically-crosslinked triblock copolymers blended with one or more midblock-selective crystallizable hydrocarbons (HCs) with 18–40 carbon units (HC18-HC40). The dependence of the trigger (melting) temperature on blend composition is ascertained by calorimetry for systems composed of a single copolymer and one or more hydrocarbons. Judicious selection of the blends produced here yields designer materials that can be triggered near/at body temperature. Examples of blends satisfying this requirement include a styrenic thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) modified with ∼40–95 wt% HC20 or 80–95 wt% HC18/HC20 (equimass). While the trigger temperature of the latter ternary blend is independent of TPE molecular weight, SMNs composed of a high-molecular-weight TPE possess remarkable mechanical properties, such as elongations exceeding 3000 % strain. We envisage use of these SMNs in applications such as self-fitting personal protection equipment.

  PublisherDOI

• Chemical analyses of glycol-modified copolyester surface abrasion: Beyond the scratches from a mechanochemistry perspective

  Applied Surface Science · 2025-03-06

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  The observations reported in this study provide unequivocal evidence that polymer surface abrasion is a mechanochemical process that, upon more in-depth understanding, could be used to improve polymer durability and reduce environmental impact. • We report on the abrasion behavior of three chemically-related glycol-modified thermoplastic polymers, one of which is a potential replacement for polycarbonate as a tough, transparent packaging material. • The chemical properties of the polymer surfaces before and after mechanical abrasion have been interrogated by two different surface-sensitive spectroscopic techniques, namely, FTIR-ATR and XPS. • Differences in the chemical properties of abraded polymer surfaces have been identified and quantified to yield the carboxyl index. • The carboxyl index has been measured as a function of cycle number, particle size of abrading material and polymer chemistry. • The results obtained here are compared to other polymer degradation processes to discern the extent of mechanistic similarity. • Our findings indicate that abrasion-induced chemical changes measured by spectroscopic methods provide a more robust measurement of abrasion since these tests are independent of the measurement conditions. Thermoplastic abrasion constitutes an important consideration for not only improving the application lifetime of polymeric materials but also reducing the volume and impact of solid waste. This study explores the abrasion characteristics of a series of glassy glycol-modified polyesters without focusing exclusively on mechanical properties. Here, we demonstrate how changes in chemical characteristics, which are discernible by surface-sensitive spectroscopic methods, can be used to monitor the abrasion process, elucidate molecular-level mechanisms and differentiate the three polyesters under investigation on the basis of their abrasion response. Moreover, we introduce the carboxyl index discerned from Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection mode and utilize this novel index, in conjunction with the carboxyl bond content ascertained from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, to quantitatively describe polyester surface degradation. Comparison of several surface-related degradation mechanisms upon appropriate data normalization to account for material-specific abrasion properties or other relevant exposure conditions yields surprisingly similar responses, implying that polymer abrasion is an example of a mechanochemical process wherein both mechanical degradation and distinct chemical changes influence the abrasion-driven evolution of surface properties.

  PublisherDOI

• Effect of heating rate on thermal behaviour of plasticised hard polyurethane-urea

  Journal of Physics Conference Series · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Polyurethane-urea (PUU) forms through the chemical reactions of prepolymer with diisocyanate-end groups and diamine. The mechanical properties of PUU are explored by examining its hard and soft segments. In addition to a melting temperature, this investigation involves determining the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of PUU, the characteristic temperature that marks the shift from a glassy to a rubbery state in materials. Those thermal properties are potentially affected by plasticiser commonly used to overcome a short pot life of PUU because of its high reactivity. This work aims to investigate the effect of heating rate on the thermal properties of plasticised hard PUU using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). This work used a plasticised PUU with a hardness of 95 shore A. DSC analysis was performed with variations of the heating rate of 10, 20, 40, and 60 K/min. Based on melting point analysis, it is found that plasticised hard PUU has two types of crystal of which one of them has heating rate dependence. Based on T g analysis, T g of hard segment is twice of T g soft segment at zero heating rate. Increasing the heating rate increases T g and the preferred heating rate for T g analysis is 20 K/min.

  PublisherDOI

• Inconsistent Gas-Separation Results for Pebax Carbon-Capture Membranes: The Need for Standardized Analysis

  Polymer Reviews · 2025-03-27 · 4 citations

  articleCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Thermoplastic Elastomers and Their Physical Gels Electrospun into Tunable Microfibrous Nonwoven Mats: Structure Formation and Property Enhancement

  Advanced Functional Materials · 2024-09-20 · 8 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) based on styrenic block copolymers constitute excellent examples of self‐networking macromolecules that are employed in a wide range of contemporary technologies as molded parts. In such applications, these TPEs exist as dense (nonporous) films or other shapes. Here, it is first demonstrated that a series of commercial TPEs possessing comparable compositions can be electrospun from solution to form microfibers that are arranged into nonwoven mats that are breathable. An important consideration for microfiber formation is the copolymer molecular weight, which regulates i) the viscosity of the parent solution prior to electrospinning, ii) the ability of these copolymers to self‐assemble during electrospinning, iii) the microfiber morphology, and iv) the mechanical properties of the resultant microfibers. The addition of a midblock‐selective aliphatic oil to these TPEs yields thermoplastic elastomer gels (TPEGs), wherein the copolymer morphology and mechanical properties become highly composition‐tunable. Electrospinning TPEGs from a binary oil+solvent solution introduces a micelle inversion mechanism that begins with an oil‐rich micellar core and ends with a styrene‐rich micellar core, required for network stabilization, as the solvent dries during microfiber solidification. This work has implications for the production of controllably low‐modulus microfibrous materials possessing modestly improved toughness but exceptional extensibility and enhanced optical transparency.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Materials descriptors for advanced water dissociation catalysts in bipolar membranes

  Nature Materials · 2024-07-01 · 70 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Fundamental Principles and Emerging Opportunities for Selectively‐Solvated Block Copolymer Networks in Nonpolar Media: A Perspective

  Advanced Physics Research · 2024-05-15 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract Block polymers remain an extensively studied class of macromolecules due to their ability to self‐organize spontaneously as a result of microphase separation into a variety of ordered nanostructures, depending on the number of contiguous sequences (“blocks”) present and their sequential arrangement. These polymers are classified as multifunctional since they exhibit two or more different property sets during application. In this work, the focus is on bicomponent block copolymers composed of soft and hard segments arranged as linear triblock or higher‐order multiblock copolymers and possessing the properties of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). Of particular interest are selectively‐solvated TPEs, designated as TPE gels (TPEGs), with precisely‐ and composition‐tunable properties. An important aspect of TPEs and their TPEG analogs is their elasticity, which reflects the ability of the soft block(s) to form a contiguous molecular network connected by dispersed microdomains composed of the hard block. Here, the origins of microphase separation and network formation in styrenic TPEs and TPEGs are explored, and experimental, theoretical, and simulation results are examined to elucidate chemistry‐structure‐property‐processing (CSPP) relationships in these self‐networking materials. Once such relationships are established, several unconventional technologies that can directly benefit from TPEGs, along with TPEGs fabricated from TPEs possessing different chemical moieties, are likewise considered.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Magnetically-Driven Orientation of Multiphase Polymer Systems: A Ligand-Functionalized, Magnetic Nanoparticle Approach

  NSF · $300k · 2010–2014

• In-Plane Nanostructural Organization of Copolymer Molecules along Polymer/Polymer Interfaces

  NSF · $105k · 2008–2010

Frequent coauthors

• Steven D. Smith

  264 shared

• David A. Agard

  University of California, San Francisco

  119 shared

• Jonathan H. Laurer

  108 shared

• Jennifer C. Fung

  Reproductive Science Center

  83 shared

• John W. Sedat

  University of California, San Francisco

  83 shared

• Michael B. Braunfeld

  University of California, San Francisco

  73 shared

• Jon Samseth

  66 shared

• Saad A. Khan

  North Carolina State University

  61 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Chemical Engineering

  University of Delaware

  1984

• B.S., Chemical Engineering

  University of Delaware

  1979