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Michael Rubinstein

Aleksandar S. Vesic Distinguished Professor
Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Box 90300, Durham, NC 27708
3377 CIEMAS Building, Box 90300, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


The research of the Rubinstein group is in the field of polymer theory and computer simulations. The unique properties of polymeric systems are due to the size, topology and interactions of the molecules they are made of. Our goal is to understand the properties of various polymeric systems and to design new systems with even more interesting and useful properties.

Our approach is based upon building and solving simple molecular models of different polymeric systems. The models we develop are simple enough to be solved either analytically or numerically, but contain the main features leading to unique properties of real polymers. Computer simulations of our models serve as an important bridge between analytical calculations and experiments.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Aleksandar S. Vesic Distinguished Professor · 2020 - Present Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Pratt School of Engineering
Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science · 2018 - Present Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Pratt School of Engineering
Professor of Chemistry · 2018 - Present Chemistry, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Physics · 2018 - Present Physics, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Biomedical Engineering · 2018 - Present Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering

In the News


Published March 3, 2025
How Jello’s Chemical Cousin Can Help With Healing
Published October 8, 2024
Discoveries that May Allow Cystic Fibrosis Patients to Breathe Easier
Published June 22, 2023
Making Rubbery Materials That Can Take a Beating Without Losing Their Bounce

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Recent Publications


Rapid self-strengthening in double-network hydrogels triggered by bond scission.

Journal Article Nature materials · April 2025 The scission of chemical bonds in materials can lead to catastrophic failure, with weak bonds typically undermining the materials' strength. Here we demonstrate how weak bonds can be leveraged to achieve self-strengthening in polymer network materials. The ... Full text Cite

Fracture of polymer-like networks with hybrid bond strengths

Journal Article Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids · February 1, 2025 The design and functionality of polymeric materials hinge on failure resistance. While molecular-level details drive crack evolution in polymer networks, the connection between individual chain scission and bulk failure remains unclear and difficult to pro ... Full text Cite

Measuring Topological Constraint Relaxation in Ring-Linear Polymer Blends.

Journal Article Physical review letters · September 2024 Polymers are an effective test bed for studying topological constraints in condensed matter due to a wide array of synthetically available chain topologies. When linear and ring polymers are blended together, emergent rheological properties are observed as ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Multi-Scale Investigations of Respiratory Mucus/Mucin Structure and Function in Health and Disease

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2022 - 2027

NSF Center for the Chemistry of Molecularly Optimized Networks

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2021 - 2026

Multi-Scale Investigations of Respiratory Mucus/Mucin Structure and Function in Health and Disease

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2023 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


Harvard University · 1983 Ph.D.

External Links


Rubinstein Lab