Chemistry Seminar - Dr. Christopher Jones  

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Rose Mercadante Seminar Series is pleased to present a seminar entitled "Amine-Modified Silicates as Acid/Base Bifunctional Catalysts and Catalyst Supports" by Dr. Christopher Jones of the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.

The seminar will be held at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday March 28, 2017 in the Helen Lerner Amphitheater, Science and Technology Center. The University Community is invited to attend.

Amine modified porous silicates are highly versatile materials. We have explored synthesis-structure-property relationships for these materials in the separation of organic species from gas or liquid phases, as well as for CO2 capture. Building on this, our recent endeavors in the design and application of porous silicate supported amines in catalysis will be described. Catalysts based on discrete molecular amines that act as basic sites have been employed in reactions of importance in synthetic organic chemistry such as aldol condensations and related reactions. Similar materials are demonstrated to be useful supports for metal nanoparticles that offer outstanding performance in the semi-hydrogenation of alkynes into cis-alkenes.

Professor Jones is the Love Family Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and the Associate Vice President for Research at Georgia Tech.

Dr. Jones leads a research group that works in the broad areas of materials, catalysis and adsorption.

Since joining Georgia Tech, Dr. Jones has been recognized with a number of awards for his research and teaching. The American Chemical Society recognized his catalysis research with the Ipatieff Prize in 2010, followed by the North American Catalysis Society with the Paul H. Emmett Award in Fundamental Catalysis in 2013.

In 2016, he was recognized by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as the top chemical engineer under 45 with the Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress.

Dr. Jones is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the new journal, ACS Catalysis, which was recognized with the 2012 Prose Award as the Best New Journal in Science, Technology or Medicine, by the American Association of Publishers.

As Associate Vice-President for Research, Jones is responsible for leading and managing interdisciplinary research activities across six colleges, the Georgia Tech Research Institute, and the Enterprise Innovation Institute.