Dilip Gersappe
Ph.D. 1992, Northwestern University
Studying statistical mechanics and
computer modeling of complex chemical systems is at the heart of Dilip
Gersappe’s research. He investigates the behavior of self-assembling polymeric
and biopolymeric systems, and is developing theories for the properties of
polymer blends and the behavior of polymers at surfaces and interfaces. In
recent work, Gersappe has used mean field theories to determine the effect of
confinement on the properties of thin film polymer blends. In other work, he has
used molecular dynamics simulations to isolate the molecular mechanisms of
failure in polymeric adhesives. Currently, he is developing parallel molecular
dynamics techniques to study the strengthening mechanisms in polymer
nanocomposites and to investigate the factors that control the permeability of
polymeric membranes.