Innovative green chemistry research at UPEI attracts $83,731 CFI investment
A “green” chemist at the University of Prince Edward Island who is working to develop vegetation-based plastics to reduce our dependence on petroleum-based products and minimize our impact on the environment has just been recognized by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Dr. Michael Shaver will receive $83,731 towards the cost of essential equipment for his research on the design of homogeneous catalysts for application in green chemical reactions and polymerizations.
Green chemistry is a set of chemical ideals that drive many chemists towards sustainable and environmentally friendly operations. Dr. Shaver's research goals involve the making and breaking of bonds in order to create value-added products. Some products are precursors for drugs, some are polymers (plastics) with special properties unavailable through other methods, while others produce biodegradable and renewable plastics.
"Research on the environment is a definite strength in the Faculty of Science and the University as a whole. This award to Dr. Shaver is a testament to his innovative research program," says Dr. Christian Lacroix, UPEI Dean of Science.
"I am excited about receiving this recognition from CFI and the infrastructure it will bring to my laboratory," says Dr. Shaver. "This equipment will kick-start our research into biodegradable plastics and also provide UPEI chemistry students with hands-on access to state-of-the-art instrumentation."
Currently, Dr. Shaver is focussing on the synthesis of a biodegradable, renewable polymer, polylactic acid or PLA, which is made from agricultural by-products. He is using novel catalysts to control the properties of the polymers produced and build them into larger structures. This will expand the number of applications that the plastics can have by giving them increased stability and a much higher melting point. The future applications will lead to collaborations with engineers and biomedical scientists who can use these specialty polymers in their fields without having to worry about any associated waste.
The $83,731 investment from the CFI will assist UPEI to purchase a high-performance liquid chromatography system for gel-permeation chromatography, a single station glove box equipped with a carbon solvent filter, and a gas-chromatography/mass spectroscopy system.
CFI is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. The CFI's mandate is to strengthen the capacity of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development that benefits Canadians.
Photo: Guided by Dr. Michael Shaver, of the UPEI Department of Chemistry (right), Marieke Hutchinson, a third-year chemistry student, works with chemicals in a glove box in the UPEI chemistry department’s synthetics lab.
