The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry awarded a 5-year, $713,874 Project Grant to Texas A&M University under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop innovative catalytic methods that will enable the precise synthesis of polymers with tunable stereochemistry. The research aims to provide new synthetic routes for producing stereoregular polymers, including industrially relevant polyesters and polycarbonates, and correlate the polymers'...
Through this $699,254 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemistry under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), Professor Eugene Y. Chen of Colorado State University is developing new synthetic routes for the construction of technologically important cyclic polymers and copolymers from bio-based renewable monomers. The project aims to precisely control the structures and sequences of these cyclic polymers and copolymers using Lewis...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $600,000 Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program to Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech) for a project titled "CAS-SC: Tuning Hydrocarbon Products from Temperature-Gradient Thermolysis of Polyolefins and the Subsequent Upcycling to Functional Chemicals." The project aims to develop techniques for converting common plastic waste, such as polyethylene (PE) and...
This Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA #47.049) Federal Grant Program, will support a collaborative effort between Professor Robert Waymouth of Stanford University and researchers from IBM Almaden Laboratories. The $660,000 award, with a performance period from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2027, aims to develop and explore new catalysts and catalytic methods for transforming bio-sourced...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences awarded a $362,099 Project Grant to the University of South Carolina (USC) under the CFDA 47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences program. The funding supports research by Dr. Sheryl L. Wiskur of the USC Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry to develop polymers that can be used in organic reactions to improve the sustainability of chemical processes. The goal is to understand how the microenvironment of...
This $118,229 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program supports the development of novel, chemically recyclable polymer materials at the University of New Haven. The project aims to design low-strain cyclic olefin monomers that can be polymerized and then easily depolymerized back to their constituent monomers under mild conditions, addressing the energy-intensive nature of current polymer recycling methods. Through this 5-year...
This $1,800,000 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports the establishment of the NSF Center for Polymers for a Circular Economy (PCE). The center aims to develop new strategies for synthesizing effective replacement polymers from inexpensive and sustainable feedstocks like carbon dioxide, biomass residues, and food waste oils. Key objectives include designing novel polymers that can...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry awarded a $652,777 Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Through this 4-year grant, Professor Erik J. Alexanian is developing chemical reagents to enable the selective diversification of polyolefin plastics, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, through C-H bond functionalization. This approach aims to "upcycle" post-consumer...
This National Science Foundation Project Grant award, funded through the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program, provides $359,999 to researchers at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to develop catalytic methods for editing the molecular architectures of various plastics such as polyesters and polyurethanes. The goal is to enable transformations between branched and linear polymer structures, which can significantly...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant, awarded under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), will fund research to develop a novel biocatalytic process for deconstructing and recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics. The $378,682 award to the University of Colorado aims to explore the use of natural enzymes, such as lipases, to break down PET in nonaqueous solvents rather than water, which can improve the efficiency and conversion of plastic waste. The research will...