more good environmental news: deriving plastics from citrus fruits! from Cornell University news:
A Cornell University research group has made a sweet and environmentally beneficial discovery — how to make plastics from citrus fruits, such as oranges, and carbon dioxide. In a paper published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society (Sept. 2004), Geoffrey Coates, a Cornell professor of chemistry and chemical biology, and his graduate students Chris Byrne and Scott Allen describe a way to make polymers using limonene oxide and carbon dioxide, with the help of a novel “helper molecule” — a catalyst developed in the researchers’ laboratory.
The work is being done in the Coates Laboratory, with half of the 18 researchers looking for ways to make reusable and recyclable materials from abundant and environmentally friendly sources. very cool!