Title: From Surface-Bound Organic Chemistry to Romantic Materials
Speaker: Prof. Han Zuilhof (the Chair of Organic Chemistry at Wageningen University)
Time: 9:30-11:00a.m., Oct. 13th, 2017
Venue: Room 214, Building No. 16, Wushan Campus
[Abstract]
Covalently bound, ultrathin (<100 nm) layers on surfaces can be used to finetune surface properties in detail. In the presentation I will first zoom in on two facets: the increased potential of analytical chemistry to follow what is going on at surfaces (Angew Chem 2017), and novel chemistries that are still being developed to easily modify surfaces of interest (also Angew Chem 2017). In the second part I will zoom out to more composite materials that combine combine bio-specific interactions with self-healing characteristics, the further development of which requires the combination of exquisite materials science and chemistry.

[Biography]
Han Zuilhof is the Chair of Organic Chemistry at Wageningen University. His interests focus on surface-bound (bio-)organic chemistry and bio-nanotechnology. He obtained both an MSc in Chemistry (organic chemistry) and an MA in Philosophy (logic and theory of knowledge); both with highest honors. After obtaining a Ph.D. in Chemistry (Leiden University, 1994; highest honors), he did postdoctoral work at the University of Rochester, NY (with Joe Dinnocenzo & Sason Shaik) and at Columbia University (with Nick Turro). Subsequently he joined the faculty at Wageningen University in 1997, moved through the ranks, and has been a Professor of Organic Chemistry since 2007. He is the author of > 250 peer-reviewed papers, including 5 reviews, and written 8 patents, of which 5 were sold to companies. He is also a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Chemical Engineering at the King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a Distinguished Perennial Guest Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, is the founder of a spin-off company Surfix, serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Langmuir, Applied Surface Science and Advanced Materials Interfaces, and was the 2013-2014 Joseph Meyerhoff Visiting Professor of Chemistry at the Weizmann Institute of Science.
As organic chemist at Wageningen University he is predominantly looking for novel concepts to link biological activity of interest via the tricks of the trade of organic chemistry to surfaces. This interdisciplinary science is really cool. Many processes of interest (conversions, molecular capture, catalysis) occur at a surface, yet relatively little organic chemistry is focussed on surfaces. This provides significant chances and challenges for organic chemistry and organic materials.