UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Grant: $382,812 - National Science Foundation - Jul. 22, 2009
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Award Description: Next Generation Thermoplastics from Biorenewable Carbonyl Compounds The project objectives include the synthesis and characterization of new crop-based, biorenewable thermoplastics designed to replace those made from petroleum. Several synthetic strategies will be developed for polymerizing organic molecules abundantly available from plants. Critical polymer design features include environmental degradation pathways or facile chemical recycling. Formaldehyde is a targeted feedstock that can derive from wood or agricultural wastes via methanol (wood alcohol). These studies will develop methods for copolymerizing formaldehyde with carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and olefins, giving rise to new polyacetal/esters, polyacetal/carbonates, and polyacetal/olefins with unexplored properties and applications. Additional synthetic pursuits seek improved thermal properties of polylactic acid, currently the highest volume biorenewable synthetic thermoplastic. Related crop-based aromatic/aliphatic polyesters will be targeted as high-volume plastics of the future, and their suitability as replacements for petroleum-based polyesters will be assessed. With this award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program is supporting the research of Professor Stephen A. Miller of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Florida. Professor Miller's research efforts focus on organic and organometallic chemistry with areas of specialization including polymerization chemistry, single-site catalysis, theoretical polymer chemistry, and polymers synthesized from biorenewable feedstocks. The successful execution of this research project will result in novel polymeric materials that match or excel commercial plastics based on petroleum, yet degrade benignly in the environment.
Project Description: The project objectives include the synthesis and characterization of new crop-based, biorenewable thermoplastics designed to replace those made from petroleum. Several synthetic strategies will be developed for polymerizing organic molecules abundantly available from plants. Critical polymer design features include environmental degradation pathways or facile chemical recycling. Formaldehyde is a targeted feedstock that can derive from wood or agricultural wastes via methanol (wood alcohol). These studies will develop methods for copolymerizing formaldehyde with carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and olefins, giving rise to new polyacetal/esters, polyacetal/carbonates, and polyacetal/olefins with unexplored properties and applications. Additional synthetic pursuits seek improved thermal properties of polylactic acid, currently the highest volume biorenewable synthetic thermoplastic. Related crop-based aromatic/aliphatic polyesters will be targeted as high-volume plastics of the future, and their suitability as replacements for petroleum-based polyesters will be assessed. The start date for this research project was August 1st, 2009. Thus this project has only recently begun and is still in its first quarter of the three-year grant period. Our activities have included the synthesis of several proof-of-concept polymers. For example, we have prepared a regioregular polyesteracetal with a melting temperature of 145 degrees C, as well as a lactic acid/vanillic acid copolymer with a glass transition temperature of 133 degrees C, which far surpasses our initial goal of 100 degrees C.
Jobs Summary: The NSF grant currently supports one graduate student research assistantship, which is a monthly stipend paid to a Ph.D. candidate during the pursuit of his graduate degree. A typical graduate student works full time for this stipend (well over 520 hours per quarter), but the FTE calculation is, according to the University of Florida, only 0.33. (Total jobs reported: 0)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on Jul. 22, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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