Abstract:

The Dow Chemical Company is the world’s largest practitioner of homogenous catalysis, including the production of polyolefins. Olefin polymerization with molecular catalysts allows for unprecedented control over polymer composition and microstructure. This talk will discuss the development of various molecular catalysts for the production of ethylene-based copolymers such as ethylene-1-octene. Particular emphasis will be given to the most recent research aimed at modifying catalyst structure to impact the reactivity between ethylene and alpha-olefins. Modification of molecular catalysts allowed us to alter their reactivity dramatically from being very good to being very poor alpha-olefin incorporators during ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymerization reactions. Such catalysts provide an excellent opportunity to generate new polyolefins with unique architecture.

Bio:

Jerzy is a senior Fellow in Core R&D at Dow. His research focused on homogenous catalysis, including catalyst development for olefin polymerization, asymmetric hydroformylation reactions, and the ethylene tetramerization process. Early in his career, he was involved with the discovery and development of Dow’s INSITE Technology and Constrained-Geometry Catalysts. Jerzy has published over 60 external papers in the area of organometallic and homogenous catalysis and holds over 70 US-granted patents. He has given over 60 invited lectures at national and international conferences and various universities. He is a recipient of the 2000 Dow Excellence in Science Award, for the development and commercialization of INSITE Technology, the 2013 SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal awarded for the discovery and commercialization of new homogenous olefin polymerization catalysts, and the 2018 Herman Pines Award that recognizes outstanding leadership and contributions to Catalysis Community. In 2019, Jerzy was elected as a Fellow of the ACS, and in 2022 he was a recipient of the ACS Award in Industrial Chemistry.  Jerzy is heavily engaged externally, including being the main organizer and a chair of the Advances in Polyolefins conferences since 2015. Jerzy received an MS in Chemistry from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, in 1991, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry (Organic, Organometallic) from the University of Florida, Gainesville, in 1995.