Professor JIA Li from Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, visited Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on June 19. During his visit, he gave a lecture entitled Carbonylative Polymerization of Heterocycles and Materials Therefrom.

Professor JIA Li is giving a lecture.

Cobalt-catalyzed carbonylative polymerization (COP) of heterocycles is potentially a useful method for synthesis of a wide range of polyamides and polyesters. Professor JIA’s presentation first focused on the development of this class of catalytic polymerization. Then based on his our synthetic explorations and kinetic studies, he discussed the evolving mechanistic understanding of polymerization, the scope and limitation of the polymerization, including the suitable monomer types for the polymerization and the control of the microstructure and architecture of the polymer products. Finally, he presented the properties of the poly(-alanoid)s (X = NR) synthesized via COP of aziridines and demonstrated superb protein-adsorption resistance of the highly water-soluble members of poly(-alanoid)s (R = Me or Et)  by surface plasma resonance spectroscopy. 　 

Introduction to Professor JIA Li:

EDUCATION

· B. Sc., 1991, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, P. R. China.

· Ph. D., 1996, advised by Professor Tobin J. Marks, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208.

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENTS

· 1996-1998, Postdoctoral Fellow with Professor Richard A. Andersen, University of California, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720.

· 1998-2005, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015.

· 2005-2007, Senior Scientist and Group Leader, Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, Marlborough, MA 01752.

· 2007-2011, Assistant Professor.

· 2011-present, Associate Professor, Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325.

AWARDS

· NSF CAREER Award (2002)

· DuPont Young Investigator Award (2001)

· Lindback Minority Junior Faculty Award (2000)

RESEARCH SPECIALTIES

Metal-catalyzed polymerizations, supramolecular elastomers, photoresist polymers and materials, colloidal self-assembly and soft lithography.