PSU_RB

 

Research Support

-              Department of Defense, Army Research Office, Defense University Instrumentation Research Program (DURIP), 2009http://www.defenselink.mil/graphics/DODc-small.gif

 

-              Alcoa Foundation, 2009    http://www.alcoa.com/common/images/general/top_alcoa_logo_wide.gif

 

-              American Chemical Society, Petroleum Research Fund, Type B, 2008-2011 http://portal.acs.org:80/portal/binfetch/consumption?fileUrl=/stellent/groups/web/documents/webbucket/%7Eexport/W67_003277%7E27%7EHTML_DC_TEMPLATE%7ESNIPPET_LAYOUT/10438-1.jpg

 

-              American Chemical Society, Petroleum Research Fund, Starter Grant, 2005-2007http://portal.acs.org:80/portal/binfetch/consumption?fileUrl=/stellent/groups/web/documents/webbucket/%7Eexport/W67_003277%7E27%7EHTML_DC_TEMPLATE%7ESNIPPET_LAYOUT/10438-1.jpg

 

-              College Equipment Grant, Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh, 2005SSPlogo

 

 

Polymer Research

 

Current Projects Investigate Methods to Synthesize Functional Polymers with Renewable Resources.  Examples of these projects include:

 

Investigating New Polymerization Methods for Fuel Additives

Renewable resources have potential to convert uncontrolled heterogeneous polymerizations into well-defined systems.  For more information, see Mathers, R. T.; Damodaran, K.; Rendos, M. G.; Lavrich, M. S. Macromolecules 2009, 42, 1512-1518

 

Polyesters and polyethers have been polymerized using hydrocarboxylation and hydroalkoxylation reactions, respectively.  This method involves the reaction of an alkene with functional groups, such as alcohols or carboxylic acids.  These polymerizations avoid the use of metal catalysts.  For more information, see Mathers, R. T.; LeBlond, C.; Damodaran, K.; Kushner, D. I.; Schram, V. A.  Macromolecules 2008, 41, 524-526.

 

Decreasing the Need for Petroleum Polymerization Solvents

The integration of renewable resources and metallocene catalysts has also been investigated.  The polymerization of olefins, such as ethylene, propylene and 1-hexene, in d-limonene results in chain transfer to monoterpenes, such as d-limonene or b-myrcene.  For more information, see Mathers, R. T.; Damodaran, K. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2007, 45, 3150-3165.

 

Ring-opening metathesis polymerizations (ROMP) have been conducted in renewable monoterpene solvents instead of petroleum based solvents.  Monoterpenes, such as d-limonene, are a broad class of naturally occurring substances obtained in large quantities as a by-product of the citrus industry.  A wide variety of monomers and catalysts are soluble in d-limonene.   For more information, see Mathers, R. T.; McMahon, K. C.; Damodaran, K.; Retarides, C. J.; Kelley, D. J. Macromolecules 2006, 39, 8982-8986.

 

 

Information on Undergraduate Research Projects

 

-          Summer research opportunities exist for students.  Stop by my office (ENGR 130) for more information. 

 

-          Undergraduate research is an excellent way to prepare for a job or graduate school.  Students will have an opportunity to present their work at the Undergraduate Research Fair at Penn State or at American Chemical Society meetings.  For additional information on the Undergraduate Research Fair visit the web at http://www.nk.psu.edu/Academics/ugradresearch.htm.

 

-          Students can also register for CHEM 294 (Special Problems and Research) or CHEM 494 (Chemical Research) and receive credit for research.