Sindee Simon

Professor, Department Head
North Carolina State University
Chemical and Biomolecuar Engineering

The Glass Transition in Bulk, under Nanoconfinement, in Co-Amorphous Pharmaceuticals, and in Polymeric Fibers

Abstract

The glass transition has been said to be one of the most important unresolved problems in condensed matter physics. In this talk, the kinetics and thermodynamics associated with the glass transition and structural recovery will be described, new calorimetric data presented, and a number of debated issues discussed. A relatively new technique, nanocalorimetry, is exploited to create high-fictive temperature glasses and to fully demonstrate Kovacs' three signatures of structural recovery in enthalpy space. Nanocalorimetry is also used to explore confinement effects in ultrathin films and nanorods, as well as to investigate the properties of co-amorphous pharmaceuticals and polymeric fibers, including the nature of the so-called rigid amorphous phase.

Bio

Prof. Sindee L. Simon obtained her B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Yale University in 1983 and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Princeton University in 1992. She started her academic career at the University of Pittsburgh, then spent twenty years at Texas Tech. She was named P.W. Horn Distinguish Professor in 2010 and served as Department Chair for seven years. In 2021, she moved to NC State University where she is Distinguished Professor and Head of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Dr. Simon's research interests include the physics of the glass transition, cure and properties of thermosetting materials, and properties and reactivity at the nanoscale. She has published over 130 refereed journal publications, has over 7000 citations and an h-index of 46 according to Google Scholar. She has received numerous honors, including Fellowships in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Physical Society (APS), the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), the North American Thermal Analysis Society (NATAS), and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). She is also the recipient of the 2019 SPE International Award, as well as the SPE Research/Technology Award and the NATAS Outstanding Achievement Award.