Geoffrey W. Coates, assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology, has received a Faculty Early Career Development Program grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The value of the grant is $328,000 over four years.
Coates' research program will focus on the development of new catalysts for synthesizing biodegradable polymers from carbon dioxide. (See related story.) Coates expects his research to lead to a fundamental understanding of the mechanism of polymerization, as well as a feasible route to new polymer architectures that have potential commercial applications.
As part of his proposal, Coates has developed an integrated teaching and research plan in polymer chemistry. He also has developed educational outreach projects through the NSF-supported Cornell Center for Materials Research involving K-12 students as well as industrial scientists.
Coates earned a doctoral degree in organic chemistry from Stanford University in 1994. He joined the Cornell faculty in 1997, after postdoctoral studies at the California Institute of Technology.
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