The award in the physical sciences, given every two years
by Sigma Xi, the international science honors organization, recognizes
an individual on the basis of scientific accomplishments, relevance of
research and the individual's ability to communicate his or her work to
the general public. Nominations are sought from universities and colleges
across the country.
Paschalis Alexandridis, associate professor in the Department
of Chemical Engineering, is being recognized for work uncovering fundamental
principles behind the ability of amphiphilic (dual-nature) molecules to
self-assemble, work that is aimed at making intricate structures at scales
ranging from nanometer (one billionth of a meter) to micrometer (one millionth
of a meter).
Alexandridis, also a recipient of the National Science
Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Award, is an expert in tuning
chemical systems to fully exploit the properties of amphiphilic block
copolymerslong molecules made by combining molecules that have affinities
for different media, such as hydrophobic versus hydrophilicto develop
useful products.
The ability to exploit these copolymers will lead to
significant new markets for products in a broad range of industries, ranging
from paints and coatings to pharmaceuticals and such personal-care products
as shampoo/conditioners.
Alexandridis has had funding from and research collaborations
with such companies as Procter & Gamble, Bausch & Lomb and Xerox. Western
New York companies that have funded his work include Quebecor World Buffalo,
Inc.; Technicor, Inc.; Protective Closures Co., Inc.; FlexOvit USA, Inc.,
and Silipos. Some of the local funding was through the Strategic Partnership
for Industrial Resurgence program in the UB Office of Science, Technology
Transfer and Economic Outreach.
"The challenge is to formulate a stable liquid or gel
product that is composed of ingredients that do not like each other, that
have an affinity for, and therefore work best in, different kinds of systems,
and to retain the desired function and performance of each ingredient,"
Alexandridis explained.
He has worked on capitalizing on self-assembly in an
extensive variety of applications, including developing better inks for
ink-jet printers by finding efficient ways to combine color and nonbleed
properties in ink; creating new pharmaceuticals that can be administered
as liquids, but can turn into a gel for more effective drug delivery;
improving the stability of platelet and liposome dispersions by using
copolymers to modify the adhesion between these particles, and developing
better contact-lens materials with the best microstructures so that they
are more comfortable to wear.
The National Science Foundation recently funded his study
on how polar organic solvents that are soluble in water and are used in
water-based paints affect other ingredients in paints, such as polymers,
surfactants and latex. The goal is to find a way to replace volatile organic
solvents and hazardous air pollutants now used in water-based formulations
to create paints that work as wellor even betterbut are more
environmentally friendly.
Alexandridis also recently was funded by NSF to develop
a research and education program on the self-organization of amphiphilic
block copolymers for the preparation of highly ordered materials. This
project involves the novel use of non-uniform electric fields for directing
the two- and three-dimensional organization of nanoparticles.
Since coming to UB in 1997, Alexandridis has received
almost $1.2 million in research grants.
He has authored or co-authored more than 90 scientific
papers and given more than 90 lectures at scientific conferences. He is
a recipient of the Dow Outstanding New Faculty Award from the American
Society for Engineering Education and a lectureship award from the Japan
Research Institute of Material Technology.
He received his doctorate from Massachusetts Institute
of Technology and was a postdoctoral associate and assistant professor
at Lund University.
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