'In Pursuit of the Perfect Plastic: New Approaches to Sustainable Polymers'

Society depends on many types of polymeric materials, plastics. Synthetic polymers are indispensable in a wide array of applications, ranging from commodity packaging and structural materials to technologically complex biomedical and electronic devices. However, the negative impact of their production and disposal pose critical challenges for the environment and Human health. This lecture will highlight these challenges and our research to develop new recyclable polymers and sustainable routes to biodegradable plastics. 

Geoffrey W. Coates received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Wabash College in 1989, a Doctor of Philosophy in organic chemistry with Robert Waymouth at Stanford University in 1994, and was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow with Robert Grubbs at the California Institute of Technology. He joined the Cornell University faculty in 1997, where he is now the Tisch University Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. 

The research focus of the Coates Group is the development of new catalysts for the synthesis of macromolecules and small molecules. Coates’ research concentrates on developing new methods for reacting commodity feedstocks in unprecedented ways. His current research centers on the development of homogeneous catalysts for olefin polymerization, heterocycle carbonylation, epoxide homo- and copolymerization, the utilization of carbon dioxide in polymer synthesis, and new polymers for energy conversion and storage. 

Coates has been awarded the A. C. Cope Scholar Award, the ACS Award in Affordable Green Chemistry, the Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success, the Applied Polymer Science Award, and the Carl S. Marvel Creative Polymer Chemistry Award. In 2011 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Coates was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Inventors in 2017. He was awarded the Eni Award in 2022 and the National Academy of Sciences Award for the Industrial Application of Science in 2023. He is the scientific cofounder of Novomer, Ecolectro, and Intermix Performance Materials, and is an Associate Editor of JACS.

Financial Support Provided by: The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation The Ronnenberg Lecture Series