Professor Jerome Robinson

Professor Jerome Robinson
Department of Chemistry
Brown University

Enabling Catalytic Strategies to Stereo- and Sequence-Controlled Oxygenated (Co)Polymers

Polymer sustainability has quickly become a global environmental concern, where an estimated 4.9 GTons of polymer waste currently exist in the environment. Central to addressing this challenge is the generation of polymers with robust materials properties that also embed or encode end-of-use. Central to addressing this challenge is the generation of polymers with robust materials properties that also embed or encode end-of-use; however, access to such high-performance materials have been limited by selective and scalable catalytic methods. In this talk, I will share some of our group’s recent advances in designing highly active and selective catalysts for the synthesis of oxygenated (co) polymers through ring-opening polymerization. I will share how controlling the structure and dynamics of rare-earth and zinc-based compounds can enable the design of novel catalytic processes capable of exquisite control of polymer stereochemistry, sequence, and molecular weight to access high-performance, biodegradable materials.

Jerome Robinson

Dr. Jerome R. Robinson was born and raised in a small town in WI, and received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 2009 working with Professor Rob McGaff. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 working with Professors Patrick J. Walsh and Eric J. Schelter. Prior to his appointment at Brown, Jerome worked at Axalta Coating Systems as a Research Chemist in the areas of corrosion science and polymer coatings while holding visiting faculty appointments at Haverford College and Widener University. Jerome joined the faculty of Brown University in 2016 and is currently an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Chemistry. Jerome’s research interests are interdisciplinary, and lie at the interface of inorganic, organic, materials, and biochemistry. At Brown, Jerome’s research has focused on developing innovative, fundamental approaches to harness metal-ligand lability to address grand societal challenges related to the design of sustainable polymers, catalysis, and radiopharmaceuticals. Jerome’s mechanistically-driven research program has received several awards, including the ACS PRF DNI, NSF CAREER, PMSE Young Investigator, and NIH MIRA. In addition to research, Jerome is dedicated to improving the quality and accessibility of science education and professional development. Jerome considers mentoring and working with students one of the best parts of his job, and in 2023, he received Brown’s Graduate School Faculty Award for Advising & Mentoring. Outside of the lab, he can be found spending time with his wife and two children, cooking, staying active, and traveling.

Host: Libbi Rogan (Lamb Group)