Chris Balzer

Recent Works

Phase Behavior of Reversibly Bonding Polymer Blends

Macromolecules, 58 (2025)

Efficient Dynamical Field-theoretic Simulations for Multi-Component Systems

J. Chem. Phys., 162 (2025)

A Jacobian-Free Pseudo-Arclength Continuation Method

J. Chem. Phys., 161 (2024)

Sequence and Gelation in Supramolecular Polymers

J. Chem. Phys., 161 (2024)

Electroresponse of Weak Polyelectrolyte Brushes

Eur. Phys. J. E, 46 (2023)

Entropic Origin of Ionic Interactions in Polar Solvents

J. Phys. Chem. B, 127 (2023)

Explicit Polarization in Coarse-Grained Simulations of Ionomer Melts

Macromolecules, 55 (2022)

Wetting Behavior of Polyelectrolyte Complex Coacervates on Solid Surfaces

Soft Matter, 18 (2022)

Preferential Ion Adsorption in Blue Energy Applications

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 9 (2021)

Wiz: A Web-Based Tool for Interactive Visualization of Big Data

Patterns, 1 (2020)

Current Research Areas at UCSB

Thermodynamics of Supramolecular Polymers

Polymers that form reversible linkages are difficult to describe with typical theoretical approaches. The central challenge is enumerating all of the possible reaction products. Coherent states (CS) polymer field theory sidesteps this topological challenge; however, the CS approach is relatively underdeveloped for problems in soft matter. My work extends CS field theories to a broad set of polymer systems, including those with multiple components and competitive reactions.

Fredrickson and Delaney, JCP (2018)

Balzer and Fredrickson, JCP (2024)

Gel Schematic

Ionic Compatibilization of Polymer Blends

Chemically dissimilar polymers tend not to mix, which limits the extent of plastic recycling. By functionalizing existing polymers with acid/base moieties, one can promote mixing through the favorable electrostatic interactions. The combination of electrostatics and the reversible nature of the proton-transfer reaction requires novel theories to guide experimental design. My work contributes toward navigating the vast design space for functionalization and developing theory to predict the phase behavior of reversibly bonding polymer blends. This work is in concert with several groups as part of the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at UCSB.

Balzer, Springintveld, Fredrickson, Macromolecules (2025)

Fredrickson et. al, ACS Polymers Au (2023)

Compatibilization

Publications

C. Ellis, X. Fang, C. Balzer, T. Quah, M. S. Shell, G. H. Fredrickson, M. Gu, Fast phase prediction of charged polymer blends by white-box machine learning surrogates, Submitted to Macromolecules
D. Sun, C. Balzer, G. H. Fredrickson Hydrogen Bonding in Supramolecular AB/C Melts: Negative χ versus Coherent-State Theory, Submitted to Macromolecules
C. Balzer, P. Springintveld, G. H. Fredrickson "Phase Behavior of Reversibly Bonding Polymer Blends", Macromolecules 58, 6743-6752 (2025)
T. Quah, C. Balzer, K. T. Delaney, G. H. Fredrickson, "Efficient Dynamical Field-Theoretic Simulations for Multi-Component Systems", J. Chem. Phys., 162, 134101 (2025)
S. Varner^†, C. Balzer^†, Z.-G. Wang, "A Jacobian-Free Pseudo-Arclength Continuation Method for Phase Transitions in Inhomogeneous Thermodynamic Systems", J. Chem. Phys., 161, 064107 (2024)
C. Balzer, G.H. Fredrickson, "Sequence and Gelation in Supramolecular Polymers", J. Chem. Phys., 161, 054907 (2024)
C. Balzer, Z.-G. Wang, "Electroresponse of Weak Polyelectrolyte Brushes", Eur. Phys. J. E, 46, 82 (2023)
S. Varner^†, C. Balzer^†, Z.-G. Wang, "Entropic Origin of Ionic Interactions in Polar Solvents", J. Phys. Chem. B, 127, 4328–4337 (2023)
C. Balzer, A. L. Frischknecht, "Explicit Polarization in Coarse-Grained Simulations of Ionomer Melts", Macromolecules, 55, 9980–9989 (2022)
C. Balzer, P. Zhang, Z.-G. Wang, "Wetting Behavior of Polyelectrolyte Complex Coacervates on Solid Surfaces", Soft Matter, 18, 6326–6339 (2022)
D. Bruch^†, C. Balzer^†, Z.-G. Wang, "Thermodynamics of electrolyte solutions near charged surfaces: Constant surface charge vs constant surface potential", J. Chem. Phys., 156, 174704 (2022)
A. S. Ylitalo, C. Balzer, P. Zhang, Z.-G. Wang, "Electrostatic Correlations and Temperature-Dependent Dielectric Constant Can Model LCST in Polyelectrolyte Complex Coacervation", Macromolecules, 54, 11326–11337 (2021)
N. Rampal, A. Ajenifuja, A. Tao, C. Balzer, M. S. Cummings, A. Evans, R. Bueno-Perez, D. J. Law, L. W. Bolton, C. Petit, F. Siperstein, M. P. Attfield, M. Jobson, P. Z. Moghadam, D. Fairen-Jimenez, "The development of a comprehensive toolbox based on multi-level, high-throughput screening of MOFS for CO/N2 separations", Chemical Science, 12, 12068–12081 (2021)
C. Balzer^†, L. Qing^†, Z.-G. Wang, "Preferential Ion Adsorption in Blue Energy Applications", ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 9, 9230–9239 (2021)
C. Balzer^†, J. Jiang^†, R. L. Marson, V. V. Ginzburg, Z.-G. Wang, "Nonelectrostatic Adsorption of Polyelectrolytes and Mediated Interactions between Solid Surfaces", Langmuir, 37, 5483–5493 (2021)
C. Balzer, R. Oktavian, M. Zandi, D. Fairen-Jimenez, P.Z. Moghadam, "Wiz: A web-based tool for interactive visualization of big data", Patterns, 1, 100107 (2020)
V. Rana, A. Tabet, J. Vigil, C. J. Balzer, A. Narkevicius, J. Finlay, C. Hallou, D. Rowitch, H. Bulstrode, O. Scherman, "Cucurbit[8]uril-Derived Graphene Hydrogels", ACS Macro Letters, 8, 1629–1634 (2019)
C. Balzer, M. Armstrong, B. Shan, Y. Huang, J. Liu, and B. Mu, "Modeling Nanoparticle Dispersion in Electrospun Nanofibers", Langmuir, 34, 1340–1346 (2018)
M. Armstrong. C. Balzer, B. Shan and B. Mu, "Influence of particle size and loading on particle accessibility in electrospun poly(ethylene oxide) and ZIF-8 composite fibers: experiments and theory", Langmuir, 33, 9066–9072 (2017)
C. J. Balzer, M. R. Armstrong, B. Shan and B. Mu, "Composite MOF Mixture as Volatile Organic Compound Sensor - A New Approach to LMOF Sensors", Materials Letters, 190, 33–36 (2017)
M. R. Armstrong, S. Senthilnathan, C. J. Balzer, B. Shan and B. Mu, "Particle size studies to reveal crystallization mechanisms of the metal organic framework HKUST-1 during sonochemical synthesis", Ultrason. Sonochem., 34, 365–370 (2017)
M. R. Armstrong, K.Y. Yuriar Arredondo, C.-Y. Liu, J. E. Stevens, A. Mayhob, B. Shan, S. Senthilnathan, C. J. Balzer, and B. Mu, "UiO-66 MOF and poly (vinyl cinnamate) nanofiber composite membranes synthesized by a facile three-stage process", Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 54, 12386–12392 (2015)