Bose and Manhas receive 2003 Jess H. Davis Research Award for "Microwave Enhanced Green Chemistry"

HOBOKEN, N.J. - At Stevens Institute of Technology, The Jess H. Davis Memorial Award is presented each year at convocation for excellence in research by the faculty and research staff of Stevens.

The 2003 award was won by the team of Professors Ajay K. Bose and Maghar S. Manhas of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. It was the fourth time that the team of Bose and Manhas had received the award. They were recognized for their contribution to the field of "Microwave Enhanced Green Chemistry" in a series of 20 research papers in peer-reviewed international journals. These papers have been cited more than 500 times by other peer-reviewed journal articles.

Protection of the environment from pollution is a major concern of the scientific community that has led to increasing emphasis on "Green Chemistry" (known earlier as "clean chemistry"). The emerging technology of microwave enhanced chemical reactions holds real promise for help to chemists engaged in the discovery of drugs and their manufacture, while significantly reducing the amount of chemical waste.

Bose and Manhas conceived of "Microwave-induced Organic Reaction Enhancement" (MORE) chemistry techniques that are rapid, safe, economical and suitable for use in teaching and research laboratories and also in industrial laboratories. They made the important discovery that MORE chemistry experiments required a very little amount of solvents (or, no solvents if one or more of the reactant chemicals were liquid). According to Bose, solvents are a major source of chemical pollution.

At the invitation of Synthesis, a major European journal, Bose, Manhas and coworkers wrote in 2002 a review of their contributions under the title of "MORE chemistry for Less Pollution: Applications for Process Development."

Drs. Bose and Manhas have been invited participants in symposia on Green Chemistry sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and international conferences on microwave chemistry. Recognizing the potential of MORE chemistry techniques, Chemical & Engineering News of the American Chemical Society and the U. K. science magazines have written on their contributions. Even more important, major manufacturers of microwave equipment have placed at Stevens their computer-controlled instruments for multiple kilogram scale chemical reactions.

At the recent (Sept. 7-11, 2003) National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in New York City, Bose, Manhas and their students presented novel aspects of their microwave chemistry techniques for research as well as teaching. In particular, they described new, inexpensive commercial equipment and interesting microwave experiments for hands on training of students and teachers of inner city high schools and junior colleges that lack adequate chemistry laboratory facilities.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

For the latest news about Stevens, please visit StevensNewsService.com.