Research Summary:

Jose J. Gutierrez received his B.S. degree in chemistry from the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Mexico, in 1988. He joined the University of Texas at Dallas in 1997, and received his doctoral degree in 2002. He became a post-doctoral fellow in the UT-Dallas NanoTech Institute and the chemistry department of the same university. From 2002 to 2004, he studied the development of new polymeric materials and their composites with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for various applications. In 2004 he was appointed Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Texas Pan-American.

Dr. Gutierrez research interest includes the synthesis and characterization of novel conjugated polymers for electronic applications. He is especially interested in soluble poly-p-phenylenevinylene (PPV) derivatives, which could be used as the emissive layer in light-emitting diodes. Additionally, these polymeric materials are shown to interact strongly with carbon nanotubes. The interaction between polymers and CNTs generally alters the properties of both materials. Composites are sought after to improve existing properties or to provide new ones. Other areas of interest include the synthesis of thiophene-based conjugated polymers and their interaction with other nanomaterials.