Chemical Consultants Network ZOOM MEETING

THE 21ST CENTURY PLASTICS CHALLENGE

Prof. Paul J. Chirik – Princeton University

DATE & TIME:  Wednesday,  October 13, 2021 at 6:30 pm

Location:  Online via Zoom! (registration required, see below)

Abstract: Likely not a day goes by where you do not think about how you can change your lifestyle to become more sustainable. Should I drive an electric car? Stop using plastic? Can I live my life without interacting with products from the fossil fuel industry? Will wind and solar address all of our energy needs? Chemistry is at the core of the answers to these important questions. Much is made about our “carbon footprint” but what my lecture will show is that we need to be more broadly focused on our “elemental footprint” – meaning that many of the products that enable our quality of life rely on some of the most exotic and terrestrially scarce elements. In addition to carbon, our plastics footprint has gained increased attention as accumulation of these materials in the environment has become both undeniable and problem. Are plastics a net positive or negative in society? Should we ban their use? My lecture will explore the chemistry behind plastics, the opportunities and challenges presented by recycling and what, if any, alternatives are available.

Biography: Paul Chirik is the Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University. He earned his B. S. in Chemistry from Virginia Tech in 1995 and his Ph. D. from Caltech in 2000. He began his independent career at Cornell University in 2001 where he rose through the ranks being named the Peter J. W. DeBye Professor of Chemistry in 2009. In 2011, he and his research group relocated to Princeton. His research is focused on catalysis and sustainability. He has been recognized with the Linus Pauling Medal, the Eni Environmental Solutions Prize, the Gabor Samorjai Award for Creative Work in Catalysis, the Rylander Award presented by BASF and is a Packard Fellow in Science and Engineering. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Organometallics.

Prof. Paul Chirik interview on WHYY Radio Times (begins at 31:27)

Reservation: Use the register button to register for this meeting. The Zoom link will arrive via email