2002 — 2007 |
Jia, Li |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Career: Alternating Copolymerization of Aziridines and Carbon Monoxide
Dr. Li Jia, Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program of the Division of Chemistry, National Science Foundation, for his work under a CAREER Award to advance the design and development of a new class of homogeneous catalytic reactions as an economically attractive route for the synthesis of poly-beta-peptides. This new chemistry involves the alternating copolymerizations of aziridines and carbon monoxide with cobalt complexes as catalysts.
This research is coupled with an educational objective to foster creative chemistry problem-solving in students to prepare them to deal with arising problems in the chemical industry. An inquiry-based laboratory course will be used to teach students the intellectual process of creative problem solving. Industrial speakers will be invited to give seminars at a mini-symposium on "Problem-Solving in the Chemical Industry". Close industrial partnership to enrich students' educational experiences and to facilitate technological innovation is a hallmark of the program.
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0.961 |
2009 — 2013 |
Jia, Li |
P01Activity Code Description: For the support of a broadly based, multidisciplinary, often long-term research program which has a specific major objective or a basic theme. A program project generally involves the organized efforts of relatively large groups, members of which are conducting research projects designed to elucidate the various aspects or components of this objective. Each research project is usually under the leadership of an established investigator. The grant can provide support for certain basic resources used by these groups in the program, including clinical components, the sharing of which facilitates the total research effort. A program project is directed toward a range of problems having a central research focus, in contrast to the usually narrower thrust of the traditional research project. Each project supported through this mechanism should contribute or be directly related to the common theme of the total research effort. These scientifically meritorious projects should demonstrate an essential element of unity and interdependence, i.e., a system of research activities and projects directed toward a well-defined research program goal. |
Bioinformatics Core @ Wichita State University
The goal is to develop a web-based data management system to facilitate the aging pituitary-gonadal axis research to be undertaken by three laboratories at three institutions in Kansas and Nebraska: Dr. George Bousfield's laboratory at WSU, Dr. T. Rajendra Kumar's laboratory at KUMC-Kansas City, and Dr. John Davis1 laboratory at the Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska. The proposed system will consist of two major components: one is a MySQL database, the other is a web interface for the database. Thus, the following two specific aims are focusing on the development of these two components respectively. 1. Design and implement a MySQL relational database to enable data sharing among laboratories. Using a database to support efficient data sharing among physically disparate laboratories is a critical element of this project. For instance, the dependence of glycopeptide ion identification in Project 2 will rely, in part, on the identification of the peptide moieties by protein sequencing which will be undertaken by Core B, the Protein Chemistry Core. In addition it will be necessary to transmit large amounts of mass spectrometry data from Project 2 to the laboratory that generates glycopeptide preparations in Project 1. The proposed database will facilitate data sharing by regular deposition of data produced by all participants in the project. 2. Design a web-based interface to enable users to access the database over the internet. The web-based interface will be implemented using the ASP.NET and powered by the Internet Information Services (IIS) web server. As the interface will be designed to be platform independent, data obtained from all instruments employed in this researchcan be deposited into the database and accessed by all the participating labs.
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0.94 |
2010 — 2012 |
Jia, Li |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Eager: Carbonylative Polymerization of Aldehydes
Technical Abstract: The Chemical Catalysis Program supports the efforts of Professor Li Jia of the University of Akron for the investigation of the cobalt-catalyzed, carbonylative polymerization of heterocycles (e.g., aziridines) and heteroalkenes (C=O and C=N bonds). The research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of these processes and developing efficient synthetic methods for preparing both commodity and functional polymers. The process, which could lead to new classes of aliphatic polyesters, remains unexplored. The key to realizing the polymerization appears to be the activation of the acyl-cobalt bond. Nucleophilic and bifunctional organic co-catalysts with nucleophilicity and latent Lewis acidity will be used to accomplish the metal-carbon bond activation. The polymerization reactions developed in this project are powerful tools for the synthesis of tailor-made polymers for biomedical materials and environmentally friendly plastics.
Non-technical Abstract: The Chemical Catalysis Program supports the efforts of Professor Li Jia of the University of Akron for the investigation of novel, catalytic copolymerizations of aldehydes and carbon monoxide (i.e, the carbonylative polymerization of aldehydes). The research focuses on the rational design of catalytic cycles that utilize inexpensive starting materials derived from non-petroleum sources. This high risk research effort may result in the high reward, commercial development of degradable polymers. The products of the reaction, aliphatic polyesters, have a wide range of applications as specialty and commodity plastics. The research activity trains students and postdoctoral associates at the interface of organic, inorganic and polymer chemistry.
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0.972 |
2013 — 2017 |
Jia, Li |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Suschem: Carbonylative Polymerization of Heterocycles and Heteroalkenes
The Chemical Catalysis Program supports the efforts of Professor Li Jia of the University of Akron for the investigation of the transition metal-catalyzed carbonylative polymerization of heterocycles (e.g., aziridines and epoxides) and heteroalkenes (containing carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen double bonds). The research encompasses two major objectives: 1) a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of the cobalt-catalyzed carbonylative polymerization of aziridines and 2) the development of a novel class of zwitterionic nickel (Ni) and palladium (Pd) catalysts for the carbonylative polymerization of epoxides and aldehydes. The mechanistic study utilizes a combination of complementary experimental approaches, including in situ infrared spectroscopy, synthesis of model compounds for catalyst resting states, and a kinetic study of the catalytic process. The novel zwitterionic Ni and Pd catalysts are rationally designed on the basis of the existing mechanistic knowledge obtained from known cobalt catalysts. The polymerization reactions developed in this project are powerful tools for the synthesis of polyamides and polyesters. Polyamides are specialty polymers with applications in antifouling coatings and as physical crosslinkers in high-performance thermoplastic elastomers. The polyesters are environmentally-degradable plastics for commodity applications. This project falls under the SusChEM initiative as it utilizes non-petroleum based starting materials (e.g., CO) as well as some non-precious metal catalysts (e.g., nickel) for the production of potential commodity-scale products.
The Chemical Catalysis Program supports the efforts of Professor Li Jia of the University of Akron for the investigation of a catalytic polymerization reactions. Carbon monoxide serves as the raw material for the polymers (plastics) produced by the catalytic polymerizations; carbon monoxide can be obtained from biomass and from the conversion of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas). These chemical processes are more environmentally sustainable than those that rely on fossil feedstock. The products of the polymerization are also aimed to benefit the environment. One type of the polymers can be used as an antifouling coating and can potentially replace the tin and copper biocides currently applied to marine vessels to prevent marine fouling. Another polymer product can be used as an ingredient for recyclable thermoplastic rubbers that replace the non-recyclable thermoset rubbers. The polyesters produced by the present catalytic polymerization are "green" plastics that degrade into harmless substances in the environment. The graduate, undergraduate, and high school students will gain important environmental perspectives as well as experience in industrially-relevant areas of research.
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0.972 |
2016 — 2019 |
Jia, Li Foster, Mark (co-PI) [⬀] Foster, Mark (co-PI) [⬀] |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Tailoring Size and Shape of Beta-Sheet Nanocrystals For Crosslinking and Reinforcement of Elastomers
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY.
Elastomers are rubbery materials that are produced on the scale of 200 million tons annually worldwide. Their applications range from daily goods (for example tires) to defense (for example sonar domes of navy ships) and to biomedicine (for example coatings of artery stents). This NSF-supported research/educational team led by a chemist (Jia) and a physicist/chemical engineer (Foster) combines inspirations from biological systems and lessons from chemical and physical principles to develop the next generation of elastomers. A central focus is to reduce the size of hard particles that strengthen the elastomers to the nanometer scale. The research team will advance our fundamental understanding of how these reinforcing elements produce elastomers that are strong, stiff, and extensible and that have programmed capability to dissipate energy. This scientific knowledge can be used for a number of applications, e.g. tires that are safe, durable, and fuel-efficient. The elastomers developed can also potentially be directly applied to make medical devices safer. Parallel to the research effort, the program will train undergraduate and graduate students in this interdisciplinary area. The team will carry out outreach activities aimed at attracting domestic talent to careers in science and technology and particularly in polymer-related areas using aspects of elastomers as the primary content materials.
TECHNICAL SUMMARY.
The ability to manipulate atoms and molecules to form hierarchical structures with precisely controlled size and shape is central to nanoscience. Beta-sheet nanocrystals exist in both natural and synthetic elastomers and function as crosslinks and provide reinforcement. However, their morphologies are drastically different in these two circumstances. In natural elastomers (i.e., silks), they are particulates with all three dimensions smaller than 10 nm. In synthetic elastomers (e.g., polyurethanes), they have been found to be fibrous with the longest dimension, in the hydrogen-bonding direction, ranging from hundreds of nanometers to microns. In silks, the size control is attributed to specific amino acid sequences and an exquisite reeling process. Controlling the size and aspect ratio of beta-sheet nanocrystals is an unresolved challenge for synthetic systems. This research pursues this central quest of nanoscience in an important area of soft materials, elastomers, to realize material properties otherwise unattainable. The scientific approach of the research is multifaceted, involving synthesis, characterization, and mechanical studies across the molecular, supramolecular, and nanometer scales. Based on their recent success in reducing the longest dimension of n-beta-sheet nanocrystals in a series of oligo(beta-alanine)-grafted polyisobutylenes to well below 100 nm, the research team will expand their ability to regulate the size and aspect ratio of the beta-sheet nanocrystals without an elaborate aminoacid sequence and to elucidate the reinforcing characteristics of the two morphologically contrasting beta-sheet nanocrystals. The polymer brush at the interface of the nanocrystal will be another focus as it is critical for the morphological control and likely plays an important role in reinforcement as well. The specific objectives of the planned research are to: (1) synthesize monodisperse oligo(beta-alanine)-grafted polyisobutylenes that form particulate nanocrystals with still smaller aspect ratios as well as those that form fibrous nanocrystals. (2) characterize the structures and morphologies of the beta-sheet nanocrystals including the polymer brush attached to the nanocrystal surface. (3) elucidate the reinforcing characteristics and study the reinforcing mechanisms of the particulate and fibrous nanocrystals.
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0.972 |
2018 |
Jia, Li |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
I-Corps: Non-Silane Coupling Agents
The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project 'Non-Silane Coupling Agents' rests on the environmental advantage of a new technology platform of coupling agents with potential performance advantages for tire applications. The global tire and rubber companies consume $325 million in silane coupling agents each year. About half of the weight of the silane coupling agents (i.e., ~10 kTon or ~1-5% by weight of the tire) is converted to ethanol and, if not captured, released into the atmosphere as a volatile organic compound (VOC). By replacing the silane moiety in the conventional silane coupling agents with a catechol functional group, the non-silane coupling (NSC) technology completely eliminates the VOC generated during tire manufacture. If other industrial sectors that currently use silanes also adopt the catechol-based technology, ~50 kTon of annual VOC emission will be eliminated. The NSC technology introduces a disruptive replacement for the mature silane-based coupling technology, whose intellectual properties have long expired and whose manufacture is exclusively based in Asia. The NSC technology will also level the playingfield for US rubber and tire manufacturers against their competitors in developing countries, where the environmental regulations are relaxed.
This I-Corps project 'Non-Silane Coupling Agents' is a clean intellectual departure from the current silane-based technology, taking advantage of the exceptional ability of the catechol motif to form chelation on the surface of silica. The approach is fundamentally novel. The technology is the outcome of a research program sponsored by the NSF I/UCRC Center of Tire Research. The activities encompassed by the I-Corps Teams program will allow us the deep dive necessary to truly understand the customer opportunity, tailor the novel disruptive technology to meet these needs at an early R&D stage and enhances the probability of success. The R&D and business team bring together extensive experience working in the areas of rubber chemistry, technology, marketing, and business management.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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0.972 |
2019 — 2022 |
Jia, Li |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Development of Zwitterionic Nickel Catalysts For Carbonylative Polymerization and Copolymerization of Ethylene and Cyclic Ethers
The pollution caused by plastic waste lingering on the Earth's surface is a problem of massive scale. A key challenge in replacing current nondegradable plastics with those that are degradable is simple economics: the raw materials needed to make degradable plastics are often more expensive than those used in today's nondegradable plastics. Raw materials that are inexpensive, readily available, and have low environmental impact are thus highly desirable in the quest for sustainability. In this project, Dr. Jia and his team at the University of Akron are developing catalysts that produce plastics that are degradable in the environment and derived from low-cost raw materials. The catalysts are based on the earth-abundant metal, nickel, adding another sustainable feature to his group's research. Dr. Jia is actively engaged in outreach activities to engage students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. These activities include summer research internships in Dr. Jia's laboratory and are directed at providing scientific research opportunities for high school students, in particular those who are economically underprivileged, thereby encouraging their interest in STEM careers.
With funding from the Chemical Catalysis Program of the NSF Division of Chemistry, Dr. Jia of the University of Akron is developing novel catalytic carbonylative polymerizations for the synthesis of polymers with various organic carbonyl functional groups in their backbones from co-monomers with vastly dissimilar reactivities (e.g., ethylene and ethylene oxide). The research is focusing on the mechanistic understanding of these catalytic polymerizations, the development of nickel catalysts following zwitterionic design principles, and the evaluation of the performance of the new catalysts. Dr. Jia is actively engaged in STEM outreach programs. His outreach activities focus on providing opportunities to students with economically underprivileged backgrounds and recruiting them into STEM fields.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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0.972 |