Experience:

Dr. McKellar’s current projects include synthesis of new reactive diluents for VARTM processing of polyimide thermosets, as well as synthesizing novel polymer-grafted and functionalized carbon nanofibers.

Previously, Dr. McKellar worked for 13 years on-site at Wright-Patterson AFB as a contractor at the Polymer Branch of the Materials Laboratory of the Air Force Research Laboratory. His work at the Polymer Branch included developing new electron-acceptor materials for photovoltaic devices, novel materials for aircraft permanent basecoats, isotopically-labeled polyimide oligomers and model compounds for studies on polyimide resins. In addition he synthesized benzocyclobutene materials for improving compressive strength of rigid-rod polymers and also synthesized novel heterocyclic-aromatic non-resonant and two-photon absorption non-linear optical compounds.

While employed with AdTech Systems Research of Dayton, Ohio and with Wright State University, Dr. McKellar participated in successful SBIR projects and in addition has been an independent consultant to small businesses on other SBIR projects. In addition to expertise in material science and polymer chemistry, Dr. McKellar has a broad expertise in organic synthesis including multi-step syntheses of medicinal and biochemical compounds. As Adjunct Assistant Professor at Wright State University he has taught organic chemistry, and he has been instructor in chemistry at Miami University, Hamilton, Ohio.

Education and Training:

Ph.D. (Doctor of Science), Chemistry, University of Texas at Arlington, 1987
Post-doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati
Post-doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Chemistry, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
B.S., Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas

Professional Affiliations:

American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society, Polymer  Division

Selected Publications:

Alexander, Max D., Jr.; Sankaran, Balasubramanian; McKellar, B. Robert; Dudis, Douglas S.   Materials characterization and synthesis of conductive aromatic-bis(benzothiazoles). Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings (2002), 665 (Electronic, Optical and Optoelectronic Polymers and Oligomers), 365-370.

Dudis, Douglas S.; McKellar, B. Robert. Electron accepting oligomers and polymers: Chain scission under quaternization conditions. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings  (2002), 665 (Electronic, Optical and Optoelectronic Polymers and Oligomers), 289-293. 

Alexander, Max D., Jr.; Specker, Christina E.; Dudis, Douglas S.; Sankaran, Balasubramanian; McKellar, B. Robert. Designing air and water stable N-dopable model compounds and polymers: calculation of relative oxidative stability. Proceedings - Electrochemical Society (2000), 2000-15 (New Directions in Organic Electrochemistry), 128-131.

Alexander, Max D., Jr.; Dudis, Douglas S.; McKellar, B. Robert. Designing air and water stable N-doped polymers and model compounds: molecular modeling and experimental results.    Polymer Preprints (American Chemical Society, Division of Polymer Chemistry) (2000), 41(1),  358-359.

McKellar, B. Robert; Dudis, Douglas S.; Sankaran, Balasubramanian; Alexander, Max D.; Tan, Loon-Seng. Toward environmentally-stable N-dopable conducting benzazole polymers. N-methylation of poly(2,5-pyridylbenzobisthiazole) and model compound studies. Polymer Preprints (American Chemical Society, Division of Polymer Chemistry) (2000), 41(1), 242-243. 

Dudis, Douglas S.; McKellar, B. Robert. Synthesis and theory of N-methylated poly(p-phenylene benzobisthiazole) (PBZT) as an n-dopable conducting polymer. Polymer Preprints (American Chemical Society, Division of Polymer Chemistry) (2000), 41(1), 235-236. 

Coffey, M.; McKellar, B. R.; Reinhardt, B. A.; Nijakowski, T.; Feld, W. A. A facile synthesis of 3,4-dialkoxythiophenes. Synthetic Communications (1996), 26(11), 2205-12.

Antle, Vincent D.; Liu, Dashan; McKellar, B. Robert; Caperelli, Carol A.; Hua, Mei; Vince, Robert. Substrate specificity of glycinamide ribonucleotide synthetase from chicken liver.    Journal of Biological Chemistry (1996), 271(14), 8192-5. 

Antle, Vincent D.; Liu, Dashan; McKellar, B. Robert; Caperelli, Carol A.; Hua, Mei; Vince, Robert. Substrate specificity of glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase from chicken liver.    Journal of Biological Chemistry (1996), 271(11), 6045-9. 

McKellar, B. R.; Feld, William A. The synthesis of decyloxy substituted poly(1,2-ethynediyl-2,5-thiophenediyls). Polymer Preprints (American Chemical Society, Division of Polymer Chemistry) (1994), 35(2), 680-1. 

McKellar, B. R.; Feld, William A. The synthesis of alternating poly(heterocycles): poly(3,4-didecyloxythiophene-alt-thiophene) and poly(3,4-didecyloxythiophene-alt-(N-phenylpyrrole)).    Polymer Preprints (American Chemical Society, Division of Polymer Chemistry) (1993), 34(2),  380-1.