Kuenstler Lab

soft matter, materials discovery

Research / The Team / Updates / Openings
  1. Ayaulym Abilova*, Rithwik Ghanta*, Jared J. Rivera-Otero, Abike Sholeye, Eun Suk Lee, Alexa S. Kuenstler. Photocontrolled Hydrogen Bonding in Main-Chain Azobenzene Polymers. ACS Macro Letters. 2026.
    https://doi-org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.6c00273
  1. Sudharshan Kannapadi*, Rithwik Ghanta*, Jared J. Rivera-Otero, Autumn S. Cook, Elena F. Granzeier, Fiona Scanu, James J. Griebler, Simon A. Rogers, Alexa S. Kuenstler. The Role of Catalyst Mobility and Concentration on the Linear Viscoelasticity of Associative Dynamic Covalent Networks. ACS Macromolecules. 2026.
    https://doi-org/10.1021/acs.macromol.6c00112
  1. Rithwik Ghanta*, Brandon C. Jeong*, Alexa S. Kuenstler,
    Antonia Statt. The Influence of the Thiol-ene Mechanism on Polymer Network Topology. ACS Macromolecules. 2026.
    https://doi-org./10.1021/acs.macromol.5c02209
  1. Yu-Shen Liu, Yu-Hsiang Kuo, Vijay M. Shah, Paul J. A. Kenis
    Alexa S. Kuenstler. Tailoring Pendant Group Chemistry and Thiol–Ene Network Structure of Thin-Film Composite Membranes to Optimize CO2 Gas Separation. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c18327
  1. Lee, E. S.; Jeong, B. C.; Ghasemiahangarani, P.; Meléndez-Bonet, K.; Ge, L.; Schoetz, T.; Statt, A.; Kuenstler, A. S. Spatiotemporal Regulation of Ion Transport via Photothermal Heating in Azobenzene-Based Polymer Networks. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.5c02412.
  1. Ghanta, R.; Abilova, A.; McAndrew, C.; S. Kuenstler, A. Harnessing Ene-Type and Stereochemistry to Control Reaction Kinetics and Network Architecture in Thiol–Ene Photopolymerizations Using Maleate and Fumarate-Derived Monomers. Polymer Chemistry 2025, 16 (16), 1829–1845. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4PY01361A.
  1. Becker, R.; Kuenstler, A. S.; Bowman, C. N. Photopolymerizable Semi-Crystalline Polymers for Thermally Reversible, 3D Printable Cast Molds. Dental Materials 2024, 40 (6), 976–983. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dental.2024.05.009.
  1. Hernandez, J. J.; Keyser, S. P.; Dobson, A. L.; Kuenstler, A. S.; Bowman, C. N. Modeling Degradation of Thioester Networks Controlled by Oligomer Structures and Thiol–Thioester Exchange. Macromolecules 2024, 57 (4), 1426–1437. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.3c02135.
  1. Kuenstler, A. S.; Hernandez, J. J.; Trujillo-Lemon, M.; Osterbaan, A.; Bowman, C. N. Vat Photopolymerization Additive Manufacturing of Tough, Fully Recyclable Thermosets. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2023, 15 (8), 11111–11121. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c22081.
  1. Kuenstler, A. S.; Bowman, C. N. Catalytic Control of Crystallization in Dynamic Networks. ACS Macro Lett. 2023, 12 (2), 133–139. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.2c00703.
  1. Zhou, H.; Kuenstler, A. S.; Xu, W.; Hu, M.; Hayward, R. C. A Semicrystalline Poly(Azobenzene) Exhibiting Room Temperature Light-Induced Melting, Crystallization, and Alignment. Macromolecules 2022, 55 (23), 10330–10340. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01576.
  1. Hernandez, J. J.; Dobson, A. L.; Carberry, B. J.; Kuenstler, A. S.; Shah, P. K.; Anseth, K. S.; White, T. J.; Bowman, C. N. Controlled Degradation of Cast and 3-D Printed Photocurable Thioester Networks via Thiol–Thioester Exchange. Macromolecules 2022, 55 (4), 1376–1385. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02459.
  1. Chen, Y.; S. Kuenstler, A.; C. Hayward, R.; Jin, L. Formation of Rolls from Liquid Crystal Elastomer Bistrips. Soft Matter 2022, 18 (21), 4077–4089. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1SM01830B.
  1. Oh, S.-W.; Guo, T.; Kuenstler, A. S.; Hayward, R.; Palffy-Muhoray, P.; Zheng, X. Measuring the Five Elastic Constants of a Nematic Liquid Crystal Elastomer. Liquid Crystals 2021, 48 (4), 511–520. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678292.2020.1790680.
  1. Kuenstler, A. S.; Lahikainen, M.; Zhou, H.; Xu, W.; Priimagi, A.; Hayward, R. C. Reconfiguring Gaussian Curvature of Hydrogel Sheets with Photoswitchable Host–Guest Interactions. ACS Macro Lett. 2020, 9 (8), 1172–1177. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00469.
  1. Kuenstler, A. S.; Clark, K. D.; Read de Alaniz, J.; Hayward, R. C. Reversible Actuation via Photoisomerization-Induced Melting of a Semicrystalline Poly(Azobenzene). ACS Macro Lett. 2020, 9 (6), 902–909. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00328.
  1. Korner, K.; Kuenstler, A. S.; Hayward, R. C.; Audoly, B.; Bhattacharya, K. A Nonlinear Beam Model of Photomotile Structures. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2020, 117 (18), 9762–9770. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1915374117.
  1. Kuenstler, A. S.; Chen, Y.; Bui, P.; Kim, H.; DeSimone, A.; Jin, L.; Hayward, R. C. Blueprinting Photothermal Shape-Morphing of Liquid Crystal Elastomers. Advanced Materials 2020, 32 (17), 2000609. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202000609.
  1. Nie, H.; Self, J. L.; Kuenstler, A. S.; Hayward, R. C.; Read de Alaniz, J. Multiaddressable Photochromic Architectures: From Molecules to Materials. Advanced Optical Materials 2019, 7 (16), 1900224. https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.201900224.
  1. Kim, H.; Kang, J.-H.; Zhou, Y.; Kuenstler, A. S.; Kim, Y.; Chen, C.; Emrick, T.; Hayward, R. C. Light-Driven Shape Morphing, Assembly, and Motion of Nanocomposite Gel Surfers. Advanced Materials 2019, 31 (27), 1900932. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201900932.
  1. Kuenstler, A. S.; Kim, H.; Hayward, R. C. Liquid Crystal Elastomer Waveguide Actuators. Advanced Materials 2019, 31 (24), 1901216. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201901216.
  1. Kuenstler, A. S.; Kim, H.; Hayward, R. C. Liquid Crystal Elastomer Waveguide Actuators. Advanced Materials 2019, 31 (24), 1901216. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201901216.