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Last Updated: 2/16/2009
| Joseph M DeSimone, BS Chemistry and Ph.D. Chemistry
Chancellors Eminent Professor of Chemistry |  |
Research Interests
Current Research Interests:
Polymer synthesis and characterization, top-down fabrication strategies for applications in nanomedicine, photovoltaics and new strategies for energy storage
Research Synopsis:
The recent breakthroughs in the DeSimone laboratories using specifically-designed materials for imprint lithography have enabled an extremely versatile and flexible method for the direct fabrication and harvesting of monodisperse, shape-specific nano-biomaterials. The method, referred to as Particle Replication In Non-wetting Templates, or PRINT, allows for the fabrication of monodisperse particles with simultaneous control over structure (i.e. shape, size, composition) and function (i.e. cargo, surface structure).
Unlike other particle fabrication techniques, PRINT is delicate and general enough to be compatible with a variety of important next-generation cancer therapeutic, detection and imaging agents, including various cargos (e.g. DNA, proteins, chemotherapy drugs, biosensor dyes, radio-markers, contrast agents), targeting ligands (e.g. antibodies, cell targeting peptides) and functional matrix materials (e.g. bioabsorbable polymers, stimuli responsive matrices, etc).
PRINT particles are presently being designed to reach new understandings and therapies in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Early detection via targeted delivery of the imaging agent goes hand in hand with these new directions. Cellular targeting can be accomplished by attaching cell-specific ligands to the surface of the PRINT particle. Potential cell-specific ligands include the integrin receptor peptide (GRGDSP), melanocyte stimulating hormone, vasoactive intestional peptide, anti-Her2 mouse antibodies, cell-penetrating peptides, and a variety of vitamins.
Once targeted with a cell specific ligand, the PRINT particle can be delivered and imaged at the desired site. In this respect, PRINT particles promise great potential, since it is possible to utilize the ability to specifically target, be shape and size-specific, possess tunable matrixes, as well as the ability to incorporate imaging contrast agents. The PRINT technology from our lab is playing an integral part in the NIH PPG as well as the newly awarded Carolina Cancer Center of Nanotechnology Excellence Grants.
Recent Accomplishments and Honors
2008 recipient of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize
Named one of the "One Hundred Engineers of the Modern Era" by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) marking the 100th Anniversary of the AIChE
Business Leader Magazine "2007/2008 Impact Entrepreneur of the Year for the Triangle"
2008 Inductee into the Order of the Golden Fleece, the oldest honor society of its kind in the nation (since 1904) and the most prestigious honor society at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2007 Collaboration Success Award from The Council for Chemical Research
2006 Elected, College of Fellows, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
2006 Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2006 H.F. Whalen, Jr. Award for Entrepreneurship by ACS Div. of Business Development & Management
2005 Elected Member of the National Academy of Engineering - Materials Engineering Peer Committee Member 2006-2009
2005 Elected Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2005 Entrepreneurial Excellence Award for Life Science Spin-out of the Year for Liquidia Technologies
2005 American Chemical Society Award for Creative Invention
2005 Phi Lamda Upsilon/Glaxo Smith Kline Distinguished Lectureship at NC State University
. Liquidia Technologies, Inc., (http://www.liquidia.com ) Co-Founder (w/ A. Mendiratta, J. Rolland, G. Denison, E. T. Samulski, and B. Boucher) and Scientific Advisory Board Member (2004 - present); Based on technology licensed from labs at UNC-CH/NCSU on fluoropolymers for use in micro- and nano-fluidics, soft lithography and nano-fabrication of colloidal particles (drug/gene delivery, etc), and displays.
. Align Technologies, Inc. (http://www.invisalign.com/ [NYSE: ALN]), an orthodontic polymeric device company. Consultant & Member of their Scientific Advisory Board (2004 - present).
. Partner with Synecor (http://www.synecor.com/), a medical devices company which creates new generations of diagnostic/therapeutic technologies and promotes their rapid dissemination into the marketplace. Synecor is led by R. Stack, W. Starling and M. Williams. Companies spun out by us include:
. Interventional Therapeutic Solutions, Inc. Scientific Advisory Board Member (w/ R. Stack, W. Starling, M. Williams); Founded in July 2004; Technology is based on a drug delivery system.
. Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions, Co-Founder (w/ R. Stack, W. Starling, M. Williams, & R. Langer) and Sci. Adv. Board Member (Founded in August, 2002; Acquired by Guidant Corporation [NYSE: GDT] in March, 2003); Technology is based a fully bioabsorbable polymeric drug eluting stents.
. MICELL Technologies, Inc., (http://www.micell.com) Co-Founder (w/ J. B. McClain and T. J. Romack) and
Chairman (1996-2003); Technology is based on liquid and supercritical CO2 for microelectronics fabrication and high performance low surface energy coatings. Micell also pioneered and launched the first liquid CO2-based garment dry cleaning technology through Hangers Cleaners (http://www.hangersdrycleaners.com) (Micell sold Hangers to Cool Clean, LLC in 2001).
. Supercritical CO2 Fluoroolefin Polymerization Technology; Licensed exclusively to DuPont in 1996; DuPont
is investing $275 million to commercialize the technology; 3.5 million lbs/year plant successfully brought on line in March, 2002; DuPont expanded plant capacity to 4.5 million lbs/year in 2004.
Training
BS Chemistry Ursinus College; May 1986.
Ph.D. Chemistry Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; March 1990.
(Advisor: Professor James E. McGrath, NAE)
Publications
1. "Emulsion Polymerization of N-Ethylacrylamide in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide"; Ye, W.; DeSimone*, J. M. Macromolecules 2005, in press. . (# of citations = 0)
2. "Continuous Precipitation Polymerization of Acrylic Acid in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: Polymerization Rate and Polymer Molecular Weight"; Liu, T.; DeSimone, J. M.; Roberts, G. J. Polym. Sci. Part A: Polymer Chemistry 2004, accepted. (# of citations = 0)
3. "Low-temperature, surface-mediated foaming of polymer films"; Siripurapu, S.; DeSimone, J. M.; Khan, S. A.; Spontak, R. J. Adv. Mat. 2004, 16 (12), 989. (# of citations = 1)
4. "Spin coating of photoresists using liquid carbon dioxide"; Hoggan, E. N.; Flowers, D.; Wang, K.; DeSimone, J. M.; Carbonell, R. G. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2004, 43 (9), 2113-2122. (# of citations = 1)
5. "Deposition of thin polymeric films from liquid carbon dioxide using a high-pressure free-meniscus coating process"; Novick, B. J.; DeSimone, J. M.; Carbonell, R. G. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2004, 43 (2), 515-524. (# of citations = 2)
6. "New Fluoropolymer Materials"; Wood, C. D.; Michel, U.; Rolland, J. P.; DeSimone*, J. M. J. Fluor. Chem. 2004, 125, 1671-1676. (# of citations = 0)
7. "Fabrication of Ultramicroelectrodes Using A "Teflon-like" Coating Material"; Liu, B.; Rolland, J. P.; DeSimone, J. M.; Bard*, A. J. submitted to Anal. Chem., 2004. (# of citations = 0)
8. "Light Scattering Study of Poly (dimethyl siloxane) in Liquid and Supercritical CO2"; Andr, P.; Folk, S. L.; Adam,* M.; Rubinstein,* M.; DeSimone,* J. M. J. Phys. Chem. 2004 108, 9901-9907. (# of citations = 0)
9. Applications of "Dry" Processing in the Microelectronics Industry Using Carbon Dioxide"; Jones, C. A.; Geissler, A.; DeYoung, J. P.; McClain, J. B.; Carbonell, R.; *DeSimone, J. M. Critical Reviews in Solid State and Materials Sciences 2004, 29, 97-109. (# of citations = 0)
10. "High Resolution Soft Lithography: Enabling Materials for Nano-Technologies"; Rolland, J. P.; Hagberg, E. C.; Carter,* K. R.; DeSimone*, J. M. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2004, 43, 5796-5799. (# of citations = 0)
11. Self-Assembly of Phosphate Fluorosurfactants in Carbon Dioxide"; Keiper, J. S.; Behles, J. A.; Bucholz, T. L.; Simhan, R.; DeSimone*, J. M.; Lynn, G. W.; Wignall*, G. D.; Melnichenko, Y. B.; Frielinghaus, H. Langmuir 2004, 20, 1065-1072. (# of citations = 1)
12. "Solvent Resistant "Liquid Teflon" for Microfluidic Device Fabrication"; Rolland, J. P.; Van Dam, R. M.; Schorzman, D. A.; Quake*, S. R.; DeSimone*, J. M.; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126(8), 2322-2323. (# of citations = 5)
13. "Micro- and Nanoporous Materials Developed Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide"; Paisner, S. N.; DeSimone*, J.M. in Polymers for Microelectronics and Nanoelectronics; Editors: Lin, Q.; Pearson, R. A.; Hedrick, J. C.; ACS Symposium Series 874: 223-235, 2004. (# of citations = 0)
14. "Macromolecular Surfactants for Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Applications: Synthesis and Characterization of Fluorinated Block Copolymers Prepared by Nitroxide-Mediated Radical Polymerization"; Lacroix-Desmazes*, P; Andr, P; DeSimone, J. M.; Ruzette, A.; Boutevin, B. J. Polym. Sci. Part A: Polymer Chemistry 2004, 42(14), 3537-3552. (# of citations = 1)
15. "Dry Lithography Using Liquid and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide-based Chemistries and Processes"; Hoggan, E. N.; Flowers, D.; Wang, Ke.; DeSimone*, J. M.; Carbonell*, R. G. IEEE Transactions 2004, 17(4), 510-516. (# of citations = 0)
16. "Green Chemistry Using Liquid and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide"; Joseph M. DeSimone and William Tumas, Editors; Oxford University Press: New York, 2003 (259 pages). (# of citations = 4)
17. "Improvement of silicone endotheliazation by treatment with allylamine and/or acrylic acid low-pressure plasma"; Monge, S.; Mas, A.; Hamzaoui, A.; Kassis, C. M.; DeSimone, J. M.; Schue, F. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2003, 87 (11), 1794-1802. (# of citations = 1)
18. "Copolymerization of Tetrafluoroethylene and 2,2-Bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxole in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide" Michel, U.; Resnick, P.; Kipp, B.; DeSimone*, J. M. Macromolecules 2003, 36, 7107-7113. (# of citations = 1)
19. "HF Etchant Solutions in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide for 'Dry' Etch Processing of Microelectronic Devices"; Jones, C. A.; Yang, D.; Irene, E. B.; Gross, S. M.; Wagner, M.; DeYoung*, J.; DeSimone*, J. M. Chemistry of Materials 2003, 15, 2867-2869. (# of citations = 1)
20. "Etchant Solutions for the Removal of Cu(0) in a Supercritical CO2-based "Dry" Chemical Mechanical Planarization Process for Device Fabrication"; Bessel, C. A.; Denison, G. M.; DeSimone*, J. M.; DeYoung, J.; Gross, S.; Schauer, C. K.; Visintin, P. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 4980-4981. (# of citations = 6)
21. "NMR Studies of Water Transport and Proton Exchange in Water-in-Carbon Dioxide Microemulsions";Nagashima, K.; Lee, Jr., C. T.; Xu, B.; Johnston, K. P.; DeSimone, J. M.; Johnson, Jr.*, C. S. J. Phys. Chem. 2003, 107, 1962-1968. (# of citations = 3)
22. "Voltammetry and Electron-Transfer Dynamics in a Molecular Melt of a 1.2 nm Metal Quantum Dot"; Lee, D.; Donkers, R. L.; DeSimone, J. M.; Murray*, R. W. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 1182-1183. (# of citations = 15)
23. "Ion Atmosphere Relaxation Control of Electron Transfer Dynamics in a Plasticized Carbon Dioxide Redox Polyether Melt"; Lee, D.; Harper, A. S.; DeSimone*, J. M.; Murray*, R. W. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 1096-1103. (# of citations = 2)
24. "Diffusion of Water in Liquid and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: An NMR Study"; Xu, B.; Nagashima, K.; DeSimone, J. M.; Johnson, Jr.*, C. S. J. Phys. Chem. 2003, 107, 1-3. (# of citations = 2)
25. A Combined Small-Angle Neutron and X-ray Scattering Study of Block Copolymer Micellization in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide"; Lo Celso, F.; Triolo, A.; Triolo, F.; Thiyagarajan, P.; Amenitsch, H.; Steinhart, M.; Kriechbaum, M.; DeSimone, J. M.; Triolo*, R.; J. Appl. Crystall. 2003, 36, 660-663. (# of citations = 0)
E-mail: desimone@unc.edu
Telephone: 919-962-2166
FAX: 919-962-5467
Address: 257 Caudill Labs Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290
URL: www.chem.unc.edu/people/faculty/desimone/index.html
