San Francisco Bay Area
Synthetic organic chemist studying ways to chemically break down PVC into new small-molecule products. Previous projects included covalent attachment of plasticizers to PVC, and a study on the effect of electron-withdrawing groups on the azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction experimentally and by DFT.
Training AI models by writing challenging synthetic chemistry problems, evaluating outputs and writing ideal responses. I also review the work of other chemistry experts for accuracy and completeness. I keep up with recent literature and lesser-known reactions to make sure the models have broad and relevant training data.
I developed methods to depolymerize PVC into well-defined small-molecule products using sequential dehydrochlorination and olefin metathesis. I saw the project through from grant writing to publication, and worked to optimize conditions for this difficult-to-recycle polymer. In another project, I studied the effect of electron-withdrawing groups on the metal-free azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction. I used DFT to predict the reactivities of different alkynes, synthesized them over multiple steps, and performed in-situ NMR experiments to compare their kinetics. Throughout other projects I gained experience in polymerization, polymer functionalization, and a suite of analysis tools for polymers and small molecules.