Group will leverage the platform for work in polyolefin research.
Symyx Technologies reported that Federico II University in Naples, Italy, is opening a new academic research facility based on the Symyx Parallel Pressure Reactor (PPR) workflow. Global industry and academic polyolefins research experts, including Symyx scientists, will be on hand for the official inauguration of the facility on June 22, 2007, and will present on high-throughput technologies and applications at the University’s International Symposium.
“The Symyx PPR has enabled breakthrough research and significant commercial innovations in polyolefins, a field that previously was deemed to be mature,” said professor Vincenzo Busico, head of the Laboratory of Stereoselective Polymerization (LSP) at Federico II University. “With the PPR at the center of our new research facility, we continue our tradition of spurring innovation and use of advanced technologies in catalysis and polymer programs throughout our university and partner networks.”
The new High-Throughput Catalyst Screening facility at the LSP at the university’s department of chemistry will be the first academic research environment in the world to leverage a high-throughput research platform for work in polyolefin research, reports Symyx. The LSP is an internationally recognized center of excellence in polyolefins, with a portfolio of industrial collaborations and partnership with the Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI), a consortium of companies and universities from across Europe dedicated to the advancement of polymer research. prof. Busico also serves as scientific chairman of the polyolefins technology area for the DPI.
“With commercial deployment of licensed Symyx-discovered materials in recent years, we have demonstrated that our PPR workflow can dramatically accelerate the process of catalyst and materials discovery and help reduce the time between discovery and commercial application,” said Isy Goldwasser, president of Symyx Technologies.
The Symyx PPR is an automated platform for parallel polymerization and/or synthesis studies over a range of controlled temperatures and pressures. The workflow includes hardware, software, and a fully automated robotic platform, enabling scientists to design experiments, execute syntheses, monitor conversion, and analyze data in one complete system.
“In the initial configuration, we expect a 10-fold increase of our catalyst screening potential,” Prof. Busico explained.
