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Edward Mack, Jr. Lecture, Dr. Cynthia Friend

Cynthia Friend
March 29, 2019
All Day
130 CBEC

General Lecture:  The Role of Chemistry in Meeting Global Challenges:  Catalysis Sciences Perspective
Cynthia M. Friend, Harvard University, Mack Lecturer

One of the most pressing challenges facing the world today is the need for efficient use of energy, both because of increasing demand and the need to limit environmentally harmful chemicals.  Heterogeneous catalysis has the potential for major impact in increasing energy efficiency and storage, even though it already plays a significant role in determining the energy landscape.  This lecture will provide an overview of the role of heterogeneous catalysis historically, today and the opportunities for the future.

Technical Lecture:  Bridging between surface chemistry and catalysis

Cynthia Friend, Harvard University, Mack Lecturer

Chemical production already accounts for nearly 25% of energy use worldwide and it is expected to increase substantially in the future, creating an urgent need for more efficient processes.  Heterogeneous catalysis plays a significant role in chemical production, creating an opportunity for major impact if new catalytic processes can be invented that are more energy efficient.  Two key factors in determining efficiency are reaction selectivity and the durability of catalytic processes.  A highly collaborative research effort, involving advance experiment and theory, will be presented that demonstrates the use of fundamental science to predict and design catalytic materials.  The selective oxidative coupling of alcohols catalyzed by a dilute nanoporous AgAu alloy will be used as a case study.  
 

The Edward Mack, Jr. Lectures

 

Edward Mack Jr Headshot

Professor Edward Mack, Jr. was a long time faculty member of the Chemistry Department at The Ohio State University. After fourteen years as chairman, he resigned in October, 1955, to be devoted full time to teaching and research. Not long thereafter his friends and former students learned of his death in June, 1956.

Professor Mack's research interests included the determina- tion of the sizes and shapes of molecules from collision cross-sections using kinetic gas measurements. He also studied the rates and mechanisms of gas phase reactions, surface films, and biochemical problems. Professor Mack is remembered as a man of great energy and enthusiasm for research as well as his students.

Professor Mack became a member of the faculty at Ohio State in 1919 when he immediately began to take a personal interest in graduate students. He was their continual advocate, aiding his students through difficult years by soliciting grants from many companies and businesses. In many cases, he even took funds out of his own pocket for their support. Professor Mack was entirely dedicated to his graduate students, both scientifically and personally. In this spirit, the graduate students are responsible for every aspect of the Mack Memorial Award.

Graduate Students participate in the Mack Memorial Award by serving on the Mack Award's committee, nominating individuals, voting for the Mack Award recipient, and, of course, for attending the talks and joining the celebration.


Previous Lecturers:

2018 - Peidong Yang

2017 - David MacMillan

2016 - Omar Yaghi

2015 - George Whitesides

2014 - Robert S. Langer

2013 - T. Don Tilley

2012 - Sunney Xie

2011 - Vincent Rotello

2010 - Chad A. Mirkin

Note: This lecture was made possible by financial support from the Dr. Robert H. Lawrence Jr. Endowed Fund in Chemistry, the Dr. Kurt L. Loening Endowment Fund in Chemical Nomenclature and Chemical Information, the Chemistry Lecture Fund, as well as numerous other donors.

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