Dr Rueben Pfukwa

Senior Lecturer Office Room 2039, Polymer Science Building Tel: +27-21-808 3987 Email

 

Tertiary education

• BSc Hons, University of Zimbabwe, 2005
• MSc (Polymer Science), University of Stellenbosch, 2008
• PhD (Polymer Science), University of Stellenbosch, 2012

Research summary

Design, synthesis and application of nanostructured polymer materials.

Research description

I am interested in making well-defined nanostructured polymer materials, utilizing lessons from biological self-assembly, i.e. the driving forces therein, the levels of organization involved, and the control parameters (e.g. polarity, stereochemistry, shape and topology). These lessons are applied to synthetic systems based on foldamers, block copolymers and hydrogels to make materials applicable in nanomedicine and wastewater purification. A range of synthetic techniques are used to prepare the polymer materials needed, including the copper catalysed Huisgen azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction to make helical foldamers, controlled polymerization techniques to make well-defined homo and block copolymers, and in-situ free-radical polymerization of water-soluble monomers, in the presence of inorganic clay, to prepare nanocomposite gels.  

Publications

Suprita Jharimune, Rueben Pfukwa, Zhifeng Chen, Justin Anderson, Bert Klumperman, Robert M. Rioux. Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) End-groups Direct Seed Formation during Shape-controlled Synthesis of Ag Nanostructures via Polyol Method J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143,184–195.  DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c08528 

Lisa Fortuin, Meta Leshabane, Rueben Pfukwa, Dina Coertzen, Lyn-Marie Birkholtz, Bert Klumperman. A Facile Route to Targeted Biodegradable Polymeric Prodrugs for the Delivery of a Combination Therapy System Targeting Malaria. ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng. 2020, 6, 6217–6227. DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c01234 

Elaine Barnard, Rueben Pfukwa, Jon Maiz, Alejandro J. Muller, Bert Klumperman. Synthesis, Structure and Crystallization Behavior of Amphiphilic Hetero-arm Molecular Brushes with Crystallizable Poly(ethylene oxide) and N-Alkyl Side Chains. Macromolecules 2020, 53, 1585–1595. DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02473 

Inge Weideman, Rueben Pfukwa, Bert Klumperman. Phosphazene Base Promoted Anionic Polymerization of n-Butyraldehyde. Eur. Polym. J. 2017, 93, 97–102. DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2017.05.034 

Johnel Giliomee, Rueben Pfukwa, Nonjabulo P. Gule, Bert Klumperman. Smart Block Copolymers of PVP and an Alkylated PVP Derivative: Synthesis, Characterization, Thermoresponsive Behavior and Self-assembly. Polym. Chem. 2016, 7, 1138–1146. DOI: 10.1039/C6PY01296E 

Alexander Ilchev, Rueben Pfukwa, Lebohang Hlalele, Bert Klumperman. Improved Control Through a Semi-Batch Process in RAFT-Mediated Polymerization Utilizing Relatively Poor Leaving Groups. Polym. Chem., 2015, 6, 7945–7948. DOI: /10.1039/C5PY01293G 

Rueben Pfukwa, Paul H. J. Kouwer, Alan E. Rowan,   Bert Klumperman. Templated Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Poly(p-aryltriazole) Foldamers. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 11040–11044. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201303135