Green Chemistry @ MUN

There has been lots of exciting news from the Green Cat Chem group over the last few months! Let’s begin by congratulating everyone on successfully publishing multiple manuscripts! 🎉

Publications

1. F. M. Kerton, “Applying the principles of green chemistry to achieve a more sustainable polymer life cycle,” Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 2025, 51, 100996. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2024.100996)
2. K. V. M. Hanrahan, C. M. Meyers, C. W. Vos, J.-B. Lin and C. M. Kozak, “Kinetic studies of zirconium-catalyzed ring-opening copolymerization of epoxide and cyclic anhydride,” Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 2025, e-First. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/cjc-2024-0201)
3. S. Boudreau, S. Hrapovic, E. McIsaac, E. Lam, F. Berrué and F. M. Kerton, “Transforming waste fish bones into nanoparticles with ultrasound and aqueous organic acids,” RSC Sustainability, 2025, 3, 2325-2332. (DOI: 10.1039/D5SU00164A)
4. O. N. Egbe, B. H. P. Morrissey, F. M. Kerton and T. J. Stockmann, “Anodic expulsion of Cu nanoparticles from a polycrystalline Cu substrate: a novel corrosion and single entity study approach,” Nanoscale, 2025, 17, 10609-10619. (DOI: 10.1039/D4NR04863F)
5. J. N. Murphy, M. A. Morgan, S. Christian-Robinson, M. M. Fitzgerald and F. M. Kerton, “Optimized process to produce calcium acetate from waste blue mussel shells and its use as a de-icer,” Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 2025, e-First. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/cjc-2024-0279)
6. S. Christian-Robinson, F. Kong, E. B. Easton and F. M. Kerton, “Modification of calcium carbonate from blue mussel shells with copper oxide nanoparticles,” RSC Sustainability, 2025, 3, 3009-3018. (DOI: 10.1039/D5SU00188A)
7. M. D. Wheeler and F. M. Kerton, “Borane-catalysed cyclodepolymerization of CO₂-derived polycarbonates”, Faraday Discussions, 2025, Accepted Manuscript. (DOI: 10.1039/D5FD00050E)
8. J. E. Peddle, C. M. Laprise, M. D. Wheeler, M. M. Fitzgerald, F. M. Kerton and C. M. Kozak, “Ocean Biomass-derived Feedstocks for Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane Synthesis,” Faraday Discussions, 2025, Accepted Manuscript. (DOI: 10.1039/D5FD00059A)
9. M. J. J. Laprade, K. N. Robertson, J. A. C. Clyburne and C. M. Kozak, “A new class of ligand derived from the reactions of bis(dialkylphosphino)amines and 9-diazofluorene: preparation, structure and reactivity,” Dalton Transactions, 2025, 54, 11382-11397. (DOI: 10.1039/D4DT03402C)

Conferences & Summer Schools

Many students from Green Cat Chem had the privilege to present at several conferences and attend summer schools during the past few months. Throughout May and June, Prof. Kerton and Prof. Kozak attended multiple conferences, including the Commonwealth Chemistry Congress in South Africa, the International Conference on Sustainable Chemistry for Net Zero in Scotland, the RSC Sustainability Symposium in England, and the Gordon Research Conference on Biobased Chemicals and Materials in Maine.

At the CSC Conference this year in Ottawa, Prof. Kerton and Prof. Kozak had the opportunity to present their research as well as many of their students, including Sarah Boudreau, Cyler Vos, Amy Mitchell, Megan Graham, Meghan McKeeman, Mikhailey Wheeler, Olivia Wyper, Megan Fitzgerald, and Emily Wiseman.

Prof. Kerton, Prof. Kozak, Sarah, Mikhailey, and Olivia presented at the ACS Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. Before the conference officially started, Olivia took part of a service project in North Pittsburgh neighbourhoods and helped organized Beyond Benign’s Green Chemistry Committment summit with Mikhailey and other international students. At this summit, Prof. Kerton was invited to give a short presentation. At the awards banquet on the first evening, Sarah accepted the Joseph Breen Memorial Fellowship from the ACS GCI.

Prof. Kerton, the chair of the Committee on Chemical Research Applied to World Needs (CHEMRAWN), represented Canada at IUPAC2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Not only did she present at the CHEMRAWN Meeting and represented Canada at the IUPAC Council Meeting, but she was also at the World Chemistry Leadership Meeting and she was a keynote speaker in the symposium “Towards a Sustainable Future: Engaging Society for a Systemic Change”. Prof. Kerton will be the chair of IUPAC2027 in Montreal, QC which will be held in conjunction with CSC 2027. We look forward to it!

Sarah travelled to Burlington, VT for the ACS GCI Green & Sustainable Chemistry Summer School from July 26 to August 1, 2025. During this year’s summer school, multiple green chemistry topics were explored including metrics, green solvents, earth-abundant catalysis, renewable feedstocks, circularity, molecular design, and designing safer chemicals for healthy communities. She presented two research posters and a group presentation on 6PPD.

Mikhailey, Emily, Meghan, and Oforbuike Egbe attended the Centre for Innovation and Research on Carbon Utilization in Industrial Technologies (CIRCUIT) Summer School in Quebec City, QC where they presented research posters and learned about electrochemical CO₂ systems, applications of AI models, and current achievements in CO₂ electrolyzers.

We now all look forward to a productive start to the Fall semester next month, and hope everyone gets the opportunity to enjoy the last few weeks of Summer! 😎