Axalta recently hosted the 28th installment of the Axalta Distinguished Lectures Series, a regularly held program of cooperation and interaction between scientists at Axalta and the Department of Chemistry of the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.

“This Series is a great example of how we collaborate to remain on the cutting edge of advancements in science and use technology to provide solutions for our customers,” said Joanne Hardy, global director of Technology Strategy at Axalta.

Dr. E.W. “Bert” Meijer, a University professor in the Molecular Sciences, professor of Organic Chemistry at the Eindhoven University of Technology and co-director of the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems was the keynote speaker.

Dr. Meijer spoke on the intriguing prospects of molecular electronics, nanotechnology, biomaterials and the balance between covalent and non-covalent fragment synthesis to design well-defined supramolecular architectures.

Gaining control over the kinetic instabilities and mastering the complexity of competing mechanisms is needed to create functional materials and practical applications. 

“The aim is to close the gap between synthetic and biological molecular systems to study the cooperative action of molecules in the assembly toward functional supramolecular materials and systems,” said Meijer. “While both systems have much in common, working together they give us both highly scientific and practical outcomes that can be used in driving new innovations, which help businesses like Axalta grow and serve customers.”

“We sincerely thank Dr. Meijer for participating in Axalta’s Distinguished Lectures Series,” said Robert Roop, VP and chief technology officer of Axalta. “His presentation and insights are important to our business as we continue to develop new perspectives on the scientific fundamentals that underly our coatings. Dr. Meijer’s lecture demonstrates a new appreciation for the intricacies of polymer design and the challenges in mastering complexity with simulations and good experimentation.”