The International Research Fellowship Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.
This award will support a twenty-four month research fellowship by Dr. Lily J. Ackerman to work with Dr. Piet van Leeuwen at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Co-support is provided by the Math and Physical Sciences Directorate's Office of Multi-disciplinary Activities.
With Dr. van Leeuwen, the PI will work towards developing dendritic catalysts for selective transition metal catalyzed oligomerization. The use of a dendrimer for the controlled and selective oligomerization of olefins is an unexplored, novel concept that will be investigated. New insights will advance our understanding of how dendrimer structures can be manipulated to obtain desired products. These dendrimer based nickel catalysts will be synthesized in the host laboratories and reactions will be carried out and compared to the non-dendrimer catalysts. Through this fellowship, the PI will learn new synthetic techniques, reactor technology and analysis of catalytic runs.
