Bryan Coughlin from the University of Massachussetts-Amherst, in the US, has synthesized a high molecular weight, soluble blue emitting polyfluorene with p-carborane in the back-bone. He talks to Mike Brown about plans for future work, hiking and skiing.

What inspired you to become a scientist?

I had truly inspirational teachers in high school that really sparked my interest in science.  At Grinnell College, Grinnell Iowa USA, the chemistry faculty further focused my interest in science towards preparative chemistry and catalysis.

What was your motivation behind the work described in your ChemComm article?

For the last several years we have been focused on the incorporation of well-defined inorganic building blocks into organic polymers.  These hybrid systems can display properties that are superior to either of the constituents and this provides us with an arena for material discovery. 

Why did you choose ChemComm to publish your work?

The rapid time to publication and the international readership provides us with the broadest possible audience for our work

Where do you see your research heading next?

We are continuing our preparative exploration for the discovery of new hybrid materials and their resulting synergistic properties. 

What do enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy exploring the wilds of Western Massachusetts with my wife and two children, hiking in the summer and skiing or snow shoeing in the winter.

If you could not be a scientist, but could be anything else, what would you be?

A stone mason

Interviewed by Mike Brown