2026 Clapp Lecture • Karen Wooley • Texas A & M

About this event

"MESSAGES OF THEIMPORTANCE OFSUSTAINABILITY, SAFETY, COMPLE XITY ANDSIMPLICITY IN THETRANSFORMATION OFCARBOHYDRATES INTODIVERSEFUNCTIONALPOLYMERS WITHPOTENTIAL FORCOMMERCIALTRANSLATION ANDSOCIETALIMPACTS" This presentation will highlight academic studies involving cyclic carbonate formation and ring-opening polymerization for a family of carbohydrates, and more recent transition to the utilization of carbohydrate regio- and stereochemistries to provide simplicity and scalability that drive translational efforts. One direction involves polycarbonates as engineering plastics with broad properties scopes and prepared from condensation polymerization of bifunctional alcoholic or phenolic monomers. Extending from a focus on carbohydrate-derived polycarbonates, recent efforts have also included bisphenol A replacements in polyesters, polyurethanes, epoxies, and other materials and applications more broadly.