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SUMMARY:Development of Catalytic Strategies for Advances in Polymer Sustain
 ability
LOCATION:Chemistry A101
TZID:America/Denver
DTSTART:20240213T160000
UID:2026-05-20-15-11-56@natsci.colostate.edu
DTSTAMP:20260520T151156
Description:About the Seminar:\n\nAs we strive to support our busy and dema
 nding lifestyles\, our dependence on disposable polymer items has led to a
  global environmental crisis. The high stability of polymers to an array o
 f conditions that was once highlighted as a value for commercialization ha
 s now become a serious flaw. Addressing this crisis is going to require co
 llective efforts to recycle or upcycle the commercial products already pro
 duced at large scale and to develop more degradable or recyclable replacem
 ents. The Fieser group strives to achieve these ends through two research 
 thrusts. In our polymerization thrust\, rare earth metal catalysts are bei
 ng developed for the synthesis of degradable polymers through the perfectl
 y alternating copolymerization of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides and the b
 lock copolymerization of 1\,3-dienes with cyclic esters. Through the use o
 f a host of complementary techniques\, we demonstrate the development of e
 fficient synthetic methods\, thorough characterization of physical propert
 ies of the resulting polymers\, and proof-of-concepts for future recycling
  processes. In our depolymerization thrust\, we are exploring environmenta
 lly-friendly catalytic methods for the dechlorination of polyvinyl chlorid
 e\, with an emphasis on establishing control over product selectivity. Usi
 ng both inorganic and organic catalyst systems\, we show facile tunability
  of the organic polymer product for potential assimilation to varying appl
 ications. Recent advances from both research thrusts will be discussed.\n\
 n&nbsp\;\n\nAbout the Speaker:\n\nProfessor Fieser received a B.A. in chem
 istry at Washington University in St. Louis. She went on to earn her Ph.D.
  in chemistry from the University of California\, Irvine\, working with Pr
 of. Bill Evans on the \"Spectroscopic and Computational Analysis of Rare E
 arth and Actinide Complexes in Unusual Coordination Environments and Oxida
 tion States\". She then moved to pursue postdoctoral studies with Prof. Bi
 ll Tolman at the University of Minnesota within the NSF Center for Sustain
 able Polymers. There she collaborated with Prof. Geoff Coates and Prof. Ch
 ris Cramer on mechanistic studies of the perfectly alternating copolymeriz
 ation of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides with an aluminum catalyst and PPNC
 l co-catalyst. Megan started as a Gabilan Assistant Professor of Chemistry
  at the University of Southern California in 2018. She has received the Co
 ttrell Scholar Award and the 3M Nontenured Faculty Award. Her work strives
  to use catalysis as a tool to impact plastic pollution. 4:00 pm
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