The Chemistry Colloquium presents Dr. Isao Noda on “Two-Dimensional Correlation Spectroscopy and Development of Novel Biopplastics Nodax™, on March 28, at 4:35 p.m. in Clippinger Laboratories 194.
Dr. Isao Noda
Noda is an Affiliated Professor with Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Delaware and Chief Science Officer and Senior Vice President of Innovation at MHG, Inc. in Bainbridge, GA 39818
Abstract: Two-dimensional (2D) correlation spectroscopy is a versatile spectral data analysis technique which has gained wide popularity over the last 25 years in both academic and industrial laboratories. It is used in many different fields, including inorganic and organic chemistry, life science and medicine, as well as polymer and materials science applications. In 2D correlation spectroscopy, spectral maps defined by two independent variables, e.g., IR wavenumbers, are generated by applying a complex cross correlation analysis to the variatioons in spectral intensities induced by an external perturbation, such as temperature, pressure, concentration, or electromagnetic field. Notable features of 2D correlation spectra are: simplification of complex spectra consisting of many overlapped peaks, enhancement of spectral resolution by spreading peaks over the second dimension, and establishment of unambiguous assignment through correlation of bands selectively coupled by various interaction mechanisms. Some of the interesting applications of 2D correlation spectroscopy will be briefly presented to show its utility.
2D correlation spectroscopy has played a key role in the materials development effort in my laboratory, especially in the molecular design and characterization of a novel class of bio-based and fully biodegradable plastics, which is now commercialized by MHG, Inc. in Bainbridge, GA under the trade name of Nodax™. MHG’s Nodax™ belongs to a very intereting class of aliphatic polyesters called poly(hydroxyalkanoates) or PHAs, which are found as intracellular inclusion bodies in various microorganisms. Certain microbes accumulates PHAs as energy storing medium, and many types of PHAs have been known. Because they are made by bacteria, PHAs are fully biodegradable under right conditions. However, most of PHAs known in the past unfortunately had serious shortcomings in their physical properties to be a useful material. 2D correlation spectroscopy provided a critical insight into a way to modify the molecular structure of PHA to make this class of biomaterials much more useful and inexpensive to become a viable replacement for conventional petroleum-based plastics. My talk will cover the earlier development of this exciting new bioplastics and subsequent fundamental scienentific research effort carried out for PHAs by using 2D correlation spectrtoscopy.
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