Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Nicholas J. Turro
Columbia University
Alcatel-Lucent
The support of the National Science Foundation with the following grants is gratefully acknowledged:
Beyond a Supramolecular Approach to Structure and Reactivity of Organic Molecules (CHE 0415516)
Understanding Chemical Complexity and Diversity Through Collaboration and Integration (CHE 0717518)
Energy efficient Green diaper manufacturing, tracking molecules adsorbed on porous catalytic solids
and application of a universal ligand concept for the manufacture of flexible electronic materials.
Industrial collaborator: Dr. Andreas Flohr, Proctor & Gamble,
Schwalbach, Germany.
A novel method for the surface cross-linking (Figure left) of
superabsorbent polymer particles used for manufacturing diapers has
been developed. Polymer materials produced have superior properties
such as liquid flow thought the fluid particle bed and capacity. In
addition, the process is projected to be more energy efficient (through
green chemistry) than the current thermal method for cross-linking.
Reference: J. Appl. Polymer Sci., 111, 2163-2170 (2009).
Industrial collaborator: Dr. Lloyd Abrams, DuPont,
Wilmington, DE.
An understanding of the supramolecular structure and dynamics
of absorption of molecules on the external and internal surface
of porous solids is of critical importance in a range of solid state
catalysis. Electron spin resonance (Figure right) has been
employed to quantitatively determine the surface structure and
dynamics of organic molecules adsorbed on the external surface
of the important MFI family of zeolite catalysts.
Reference: J. Am. Chem. Soc., 130, 11344-11354 (2008).
Industrial collaborator: Dr. Ashok Maliakal, Alcatel-Lucent, Murray Hill, NJ
A universal ligand concept incorporating a phosphonate surface anchor and a
terminal alkyne moiety that binds to TiO2 was employed as a method to
synthesize TiO2 nanoparticles with organic polystyrene and poly( s-butyl acrylate)
polymer shells. The resulting materials (Figure left) were incorporated as high
dielectric films in capacitor and organic thin film transistor devices as promising
candidate materials for flexible electronics applications.
Reference: Molecular Rapid Comm., 29, 1544-1547 (2008).
A novel method to make smaller computer chips, increasing the applications of water soluble
polymers through structural modifications and a probing investigation of mechanism of
radical-radical combination inefficiency in free radical polymer syntheses.
Industrial collaborator: Dr. Paul Zimmerman, Intel, Portland,
Oregon.
.A novel method to produce smaller features in computer chips by
double exposure lithography has been designed. The double
exposure method has the potential to produced chips through a
much cheaper pathway than alternatives. However, this
technology requires the development of new methods and new
materials whose feasibility are analyzed.
Reference: Optical Microlithography XXI, Ed. H. J. Levinson
and M. V. Dusa, Proc. SPIE, 6924, 6924A 1-11 (2008)
Industrial collaborator Dr. K. P. Ananthapadmanabhan,
Unilever Research, Trumbull, CT.
Hydrophobically modified polelectrolytes are important in a
range of applications due to their ability to associate with
materials that are important in cosmetics, paints and foods.
The mechanism of association/dissociation of a hydrophobically
modified anionic polymer with a cationic surfactant was
elucidated by a multi-pronged battery of techniques.
Reference: Langmuir, 23, 5906-5913 (2007).
Industrial collaborator: Dr. Igor Khudyakov, Bomar
Specialties, Winsted, CT
The mechanism of radical-radical recombination reactions is
critical in determining the efficiency of radical polymerization
reactions which are at the heart of the manufacture of many
industrially important materials. We have determined for the
first time the basis of the inefficiency of the reactions of
reactive radicals with inert diradicals.
Reference: J. Am. Chem. Soc, 129, 7785-7792 (2007).
Dr.Igor Khudyakov
Bomar Specialties
Winsted, CT
Dr. K. Ananthapadmanabhan
Unilever
Trumbull, CT