Development of New Catalysts for the Synthesis of Biodegradable Polymers

无机化学、生物无机化学和金属有机化学计划支持康奈尔大学的Geoffrey W.Coates通过1)开发减少能源消耗、使用不可再生资源(化石燃料)或产生化学废物的新工艺，以及2)合成易于回收和/或生物降解的聚合物，以合成对环境影响较小的新型聚合物。新型可生物降解聚合物(聚酯、聚碳酸酯、聚醚和聚烯烃)是用多种催化剂(锌、钴、镍、铝等)合成的。表征研究使研究人员能够了解与催化剂和聚合过程相关的结构和动力学方面。科茨教授一直积极参与将聚合物化学引入大型有机化学课程。他和他的团队在康奈尔材料研究中心(CCMR)为K-12学生和教师进行演示，并在一年一度的为7-9年级女孩举办的扩展您的视野计划中进行演示。科茨的团队还与一家小公司密切合作，将他们的一些可生物降解材料商业化。关于他用二氧化碳和橙油合成塑料的新闻已经出现在CNN、ABC和BBC上，以及《纽约时报》和《时尚先生》杂志上。

The Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program supports the research of Geoffrey W. Coates of Cornell University on the synthesis of new polymers with reduced environmental impact via 1) the development of new procedures that reduce energy consumption, the use of non-renewable resources (fossil fuels), or the generation of chemical waste and 2) the synthesis of polymers that are easily recycled and/or biodegraded. The new biodegradable polymers (polyesters, polycarbonates, polyethers, and polyolefins) are synthesized using a wide range of catalysts (zinc, cobalt, nickel, aluminum, etc.). Characterizational studies enable the researchers to understand the structural and kinetic aspects associated with the catalysts and the polymerization process. Professor Coates has been actively involved in introducing polymer chemistry to large organic chemistry courses. He and his group conduct demonstrations for K-12 students and teachers at the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) and at the annual Expand Your Horizons Program for 7th-9th grade girls. The Coates' group also works closely with a small company to commercialize some of their biodegradable materials. News pieces on his synthesis of plastics from CO2 and orange oil have appeared on CNN, ABC, and the BBC, as well as in the New York Times and Esquire Magazine.