The Center for Engineered Polymeric Materials is pleased to announce the one day course, Introduction to Polymer Synthesis at the College of Staten Island in Staten Island, NY. The course will be taught by our distinguished Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, George Odian.
This course is an introduction to the reactions by which polymers are synthesized. The basic characteristics of the main polymerization methods, step and chain polymerizations, are discussed. Emphasis is placed on controlling the reaction variables that affect polymer properties (chemical structure, molecular mass, branching, crosslinking, and crystallinity). The modifications allowed by radical, cationic, and anionic chain polymerizations, copolymerization, ring-opening polymerization, and stereoselective polymerizations are considered. Also considered is the property enhancements allowed by performing synthetic reactions on existing polymers.
The course is open to chemists, engineers, and other technical staff who need an overview of how polymers are synthesized. No prior knowledge of polymer chemistry is needed, but a general knowledge equivalent to one year each of undergraduate organic chemistry and physical chemistry is assumed.
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George Odian is presently Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at The College of Staten Island of CUNY. Professor Odian 's research and teaching interests are in polymer synthesis. Over the years he has worked in graft polymerization, polymer crosslinking, oxidative coupling, ROP, zwitterionic polymerization, and metallocene a -olefin polymerizations. Professor Odian has published over 70 papers in referred journals. He initiated the Polymer Ph.D. program at CUNY in 1973 and directed that program for 25 years.
Professor Odian has a major interest in polymer chemistry education. His book "Principles of Polymerization" (John Wiley and Sons) has been published in four editions (1970, 1981, 1991, and 2004), translated into Chinese, French, Korean, and Russian, and used worldwide for almost 40 years.
Over the last four decades, Professor Odian has presented a variety of polymer short courses on behalf of the ACS, AIChE, National Science Teachers Assocation and at various industrial and governmental organizations.
Professor Odian is also the coauthor with Ira Blei of three major texts (two editions): "General, Organic, and Biochemistry," "Introduction to General Chemistry," and "Organic and Biochemistry" published by W. H. Freeman and used in courses for nursing and allied health students.
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The College occupies a 204-acre campus located near the center of Staten Island. The campus is the largest site for a college (public or private) within New York City. Set in a parklike landscape, the grounds and facilities create a rural oasis in an urban setting. Centrally located on Staten Island, the campus is accessible by automobile and public transportation. The course will be held in a state of the art classroom within the Center for the Arts - Building 1P.
