On July 12, 2024, Professor Richard M. Laine from the University of Michigan visited the College of Chemistry at Beijing University of Chemical Technology. Under the guidance of Professor Kong Duanyang, he delivered two academic presentations on organic silicon chemistry, namely "Upcycling Agricultural Waste (Rice Hull Ash) into Value added Products" and "Unconventional Conjugation via Si-O-Si Bonds". Professor Laine is one of the earliest pioneers in the field of organosilicon and cage type silsesquioxanes (POSS), and has made extensive and important contributions to the green synthesis, physicochemical properties, and applications of organosilicon chemistry.
In the presentations, Professor Laine first explained how to use rice husk ash with huge annual production as SiO2 raw material, and use inorganic metal bases as catalysts to achieve green activation of rice husk ash and control of SiO2: C ratio. He further introduced the application of the activated upgraded product in the preparation of all solid state lithium battery cathodes. In addition, he also shared how to modify POSS, focusing on the "non-traditional conjugation" phenomenon between Si-O-Si bonds and traditional organic conjugated groups in POSS. This effect may endow POSS with semiconductor properties, making it applicable in the field of optoelectronics. Professor Laine's insightful and humorous teaching style deeply attracted the attention of the students present. After the report, the students actively asked questions, and Professor Laine answered carefully.
