Synthesis of metal carbonyl agents as crosslinkers for granite sealers**

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Granite is a favorable material used to personalize home decorations due to its one-of-a-kind patterns and textures. However, granite is easy to be stained due to its porous structures. It is a major work at Allymarble Granite Ltd. (AGL) to seal the pores. Crosslinking agents are essential ingredients for the sealers. To upgrade the sealers, the company is seeking crosslinkers that are non-toxic and non-volatile to reduce the cost on the waste-treatment and ensure a safe work environment. Dr Wang at the University at Waterloo is working on the synthesis and self-assembly of metal carbonyl organometallic compounds. He has reported that these compounds are non-toxic to cells and non-volatile. On the other hand, the metal carbonyl group is degradable, which crosslinks organic segments producing insoluble materials. The materials are, therefore, worthy being explored as a new generation of crosslinkers for sealers. Two compounds will be designed and synthesized for the exploration via working with AGL. The first one is a water-soluble organic polymer with two metal carbonyl end groups. The polymer segment will improve the compatibility of the agent with other ingredients of the sealers. The second is a compound that can assemble in water to form nanoparticles with all metal-carbonyl groups exposed to water. The larger surface area of the nanoparticle will substantially increase the efficiency of the crosslinking reactions. AGL will work together with Dr Wang to formulate the designed materials with the sealers and test their sealing behavior. This collaboration is an opportunity for AGL to develop high-value added products and provide high quality services for Canadian citizen. The research, aiming to make a disruptive innovation for Canadian industry, will create new business opportunities and high paying technology jobs. The joint work will also create a platform to train High quality personnel (HQP), who will be able to make significant contributions to industry innovation using the emerging knowledge.****