About

Jeffrey S. Moore received his B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1984 and Ph.D. in Materials Science in 1989 from the University of Illinois. He has served as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Caltech and was an assistant professor at the University of Michigan before joining the faculty at the University of Illinois in 1993. He is a Stanley O. Ikenberry Endowed Chair, a member of the Beckman Institute, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. His research focuses on polymer mechanochemistry, light-weight high-strength organic materials, morphogenic manufacturing, and self-healing polymers as part of the Autonomic Materials Systems group at the Beckman Institute. His group is dedicated to developing mechanically responsive materials that can heal themselves, warn of high stress, or repair electrical circuits, integrating ideas from physical organic chemistry and engineering with polymer synthesis. Moore is also interested in developing course-based research experiences for undergraduates and making molecular science accessible to the general public. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Stephanie L. Kwolek Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Materials science
• Medicine
• Chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Endocrinology
• Electrical engineering
• Engineering
• Nursing
• Surgery
• Ophthalmology
• Internal medicine
• Virology
• Nanotechnology
• Systems engineering
• Environmental health
• Pathology
• Telecommunications
• Polymer chemistry
• Chemical engineering
• Composite material

Selected publications

• A Multi-Scale Computational Framework Predicting Frontal Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization from Monomer Structure

  ChemRxiv · 2026-03-15

  articleOpen access

  Frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP) enables energy- and time-efficient manufacturing by harnessing the exothermic ring-opening of strained cyclic olefins to sustain self-propagating reaction fronts. However, identifying suitable monomers is challenging, as stable front propagation depends on the complex interplay between the thermodynamic driving force and the coupled kinetics of reactions and transport. Here, we present a multi-scale screening framework to predict macroscopic front behavior from molecular structure. Quantum chemical calculations and physicochemical relations are used to approximate monomer-level kinetic and thermodynamic descriptors, which then parameterize a mechanism-based reaction– diffusion model to simulate front propagation. The approach is validated against 35 experimentally characterized monomers, successfully classifying 26 cases and capturing 96% of known FROMP-active cases. When successfully applied to a combinatorial library of 1,154 cycloaddition-derived monomers, the framework identifies 399 promising candidates across diverse structural families. Our work provides a predictive foundation for rational FROMP monomer selection and design, broadening the scope of materials accessible through frontal polymerization.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Ultrasound-driven mechanophore activation in living plants

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2026-03-04

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  This study presents a biocompatible, ultrasound-responsive platform for remotely activating mechanochemical reactions within live plant tissue. Fluorogenic Mechanophore-embedded silica NanoParticles (FMNPs) that are thermally stable were engineered to emit blue fluorescence at 440 nm upon mechanical activation. In Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) leaves, activation was achieved through the synergistic combination of gas vesicles (GVs) and high-frequency focused ultrasound (FUS, 550 kHz), enabling spatially localized and minimally invasive stimulation. Low-frequency ultrasound (25 kHz) triggered activation but caused extensive tissue damage, while high-frequency FUS alone was biocompatible yet insufficient to activate FMNPs. Incorporation of GVs as a cavitation amplifier significantly boosted activation efficiency under mild acoustic conditions without observable tissue disruption. In planta fluorescence imaging confirmed that FMNPs retained their functionality after injection into leaf vasculature, and only the combination of GV and FUS produced a statistically significant fluorescence increase, indicating successful mechanochemical activation. This represents a demonstration of noninvasive and biocompatible ultrasound-induced mechanophore activation in live plants. This modular and noninvasive strategy opens possibilities for programmable release of regulatory and metabolic chemicals, biosensing, and synthetic molecular control in plant systems.

  PublisherDOI

• Single-MoleculeElectron Transport in Peptoids

  Figshare · 2026-03-04

  article

  Peptoids are structural analogs of peptides in which side chains are appended to the backbone nitrogen rather than the α-carbon. The sequence-defined modularity of peptoids enables precise control over structure–function relationships, enabling applications in energy storage and biomedical materials. Despite recent progress, the role of sequence and conformation on electron transport in peptoid molecules is not fully understood. Here, we synthesize a library of peptoid oligomers and characterize their molecular electronic properties using the scanning tunneling microscope-break junction (STM-BJ) technique. Our results show well-defined electron transport behavior for peptoid sequences containing aromatic side groups lacking hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) and without chemical substitutions at the N–C_α position. This behavior fundamentally differs from electron transport in peptides, where H-bond interactions give rise to higher conductance states. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to understand the conformational heterogeneity of peptoids, and molecular conformations obtained from MD simulations are used in quantum mechanical calculations based on the nonequilibrium Green’s function–density functional theory (NEGF-DFT) formalism. In all cases, computational results are in reasonable qualitative agreement with experiments. Our work demonstrates that the conductance behavior of peptoids depends on monomer identity, including side-chain aromaticity and substitution at the N–C_α position. Overall, this work provides new insights into the structure–function relationships governing electron transport in peptoid-based materials and establishes design rules for peptoid-based molecular junctions.

  DOI

• Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) of frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP) of DCPD/ENB/DHF with phosphine inhibitors

  Globus Services · 2026-03-04

  datasetOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Effects of cleavable comonomer structure and crosslinker chemistry on the performance and deconstructability of frontally cured pDCPD composites

  Composites Part A Applied Science and Manufacturing · 2026-04-10

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Entanglement-Dominated Thermosets Enable High Performance with High-Fidelity Regeneration

  ChemRxiv · 2026-04-29

  articleSenior author

  Thermoset plastics underpin structural materials, electronics, and transportation, yet their permanent covalent networks make recycling difficult.1–5 Existing recycling strategies for high‑Tg engineering applications that incorporate exchangeable6–15 or cleavable bonds16–20 often compromise stiffness, creep resistance, or thermal stability, and typically treat covalent junctions as the primary load-bearing elements.21,22 Rather than considering recycling as the recovery of degraded networks, here we construct thermosets in which high mechanical performance arises predominantly from dense chain entanglements, while only a sparse fraction of trigger-cleavable junctions preserves network connectivity. Long, rigid, entangled polyolefin backbones generated by frontal polymerization form high-Tg, glassy polymers with high stiffness, high toughness, and excellent creep suppression, yet fully deconstruct to soluble, linear oligomers. Programming oligomer length and end-group chemistry enables their reuse as re-entangling building blocks that regenerate thermosets with generation-invariant thermomechanical properties, including in high-temperature fiber reinforced composite matrices and additively manufactured structures. By demonstrating that load-bearing in high‑Tg engineering thermosets can be delivered primarily by entangled strands while sparse cleavable junctions preserve connectivity, this strategy maintains network topology across generations and establishes an entanglement-dominated design principle for regenerable, high-performance networks based on entanglement-dominated architectures.

  PublisherDOI

• Single-Molecule Electron Transport in Peptoids

  The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · 2026-03-04

  articleOpen access

  Peptoids are structural analogs of peptides in which side chains are appended to the backbone nitrogen rather than the α-carbon. The sequence-defined modularity of peptoids enables precise control over structure–function relationships, enabling applications in energy storage and biomedical materials. Despite recent progress, the role of sequence and conformation on electron transport in peptoid molecules is not fully understood. Here, we synthesize a library of peptoid oligomers and characterize their molecular electronic properties using the scanning tunneling microscope-break junction (STM-BJ) technique. Our results show well-defined electron transport behavior for peptoid sequences containing aromatic side groups lacking hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) and without chemical substitutions at the N–Cα position. This behavior fundamentally differs from electron transport in peptides, where H-bond interactions give rise to higher conductance states. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to understand the conformational heterogeneity of peptoids, and molecular conformations obtained from MD simulations are used in quantum mechanical calculations based on the nonequilibrium Green’s function–density functional theory (NEGF-DFT) formalism. In all cases, computational results are in reasonable qualitative agreement with experiments. Our work demonstrates that the conductance behavior of peptoids depends on monomer identity, including side-chain aromaticity and substitution at the N–Cα position. Overall, this work provides new insights into the structure–function relationships governing electron transport in peptoid-based materials and establishes design rules for peptoid-based molecular junctions.

  PublisherDOI

• Mechanistic Origins of Polydicyclopentadiene Oxidation

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2026-03-30

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Polydicyclopentadiene (pDCPD) is a high-performance thermoset whose unusual oxidative sensitivity has long been recognized but is not mechanistically understood. Here we identify singlet oxygen (1O2) as the primary oxidant and the pendant cyclopentene ring as the primary site of reactivity that together drive the intrinsic oxidative degradation of pDCPD. Controlled 1O2 generation, model compound studies, and weathering experiments reveal a chemoselective oxy-ene pathway that selectively converts cyclopentene units into cyclopent-2-en-1-ones and initiates allylic-hydroperoxide-driven cross-linking. In contrast, main-chain alkene models and studies on pH2DCPD─in which the cyclopentene unit is saturated to suppress oxy-ene reactivity─show that the main-chain alkene follows a slower β-scission pathway. These mechanistic distinctions explain the long-observed oxidative instability of pDCPD and clarify why polymers lacking the pendant cyclopentene, such as pH2DCPD, offer improved resistance to oxidative aging. Guided by this insight, oligo-DCPD fragments are transformed into polar, benzyl-acrylate-miscible, polyfunctional additives whose enone groups enable tunable cross-linking during radical acrylate polymerization. Together, these results connect the molecular origin of pDCPD oxidation to both monomer design principles and selective macromolecular editing strategies.

  PublisherDOI

• Front Speed Measurements of the Frontal Polymerization of Cyclooctadiene/Grubbs Catalyst M204/Tributyl Phosphite Resins

  Globus Services · 2026-02-02

  datasetOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• A systematic workflow for mechanophore design

  MRS Communications · 2025-09-25 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Advancing mechanoresponsive materials require novel mechanophores, though clear and structured design guidelines are still emerging. In this work, we present a systematic workflow aimed at facilitating the design and discovery of new mechanophores. By integrating the classic iso-metrical CoGEF approach with our innovative iso-tensional Tension Model of Bond Activation (TMBA) simulation, the workflow described herein enables comprehensive evaluation of mechanophore candidates prior to experimental implementation, with a practical case study included for detailed illustration. This predictive capability allows computational screening, efficient identification and filtering away unexpected issues while providing valuable insights for potential structural optimization. Graphical Abstract

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Design Rules for Dynamic Macrocyclization

  NSF · $483k · 2010–2013

• Pathway Control in Dynamic Covalent (DC) Synthesis

  NSF · $550k · 2019–2022

• Mechanogenerated Acids

  NSF · $465k · 2013–2016

• 2D Molecular Grids Made to Order

  NSF · $527k · 2007–2011

• MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal Raman Microscope for Non-destructive Imaging of Complex Heterogeneous Materials

  NSF · $459k · 2010–2013

Frequent coauthors

• Nancy R. Sottos

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  193 shared

• Scott R. White

  129 shared

• Joaquín Rodríguez‐López

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  68 shared

• David J. Beebe

  University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center

  45 shared

• Philippe H. Geubelle

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  34 shared

• Ling Zang

  33 shared

• Rajeev S. Assary

  Argonne National Laboratory

  32 shared

• Charles E. Diesendruck

  Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

  31 shared

Awards & honors

• Stanley O. Ikenberry Endowed Chair
• Stephanie L. Kwolek Award, Royal Society of Chemistry
• Member, National Academy of Sciences
• Edward Leete Award, American Chemical Society
• Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellow