Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of phosphazene-based materials for advanced applications

The work described in this thesis focuses on the synthesis and characterization of phosphazene-based materials for a wide variety of applications, ranging from novel optical polymers to degradable biomedical materials. The second chapter of this thesis describes the synthesis and characterization of novel polyphosphazenes for use in optical or opto-electronic applications. The third chapter details the development of novel cyclotriphosphazene-based solid polymer electrolytes for use in secondary lithium batteries. The next portion (Chapters 4--7) describes the synthesis and evaluation of degradable polyphosphazenes for bone tissue engineering and the formation of polyphosphazene-hydroxyappatite (HAp) composites for the repair and replacement of hard tissue. The final section (Appendix) deals with the formation and aqueous phase behavior of polyphosphazene-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymers with potential applications in drug delivery.