Dr. Dirk Schweitzer Email & Phone Number

Devens, Massachusetts, Us

https://impact-nano.com/ in Devens, MA. ● I am employee # 3, after the two co-founders, who are industry veterans, in a local chemistry contract manufacturing organization (CMO) start-up company.● My first task was to set-up our synthetic and analytical research laboratories from scratch, starting from deciding where to put the electrical outlets in the two rooms we have. We have now a very well equipped R&D lab. ● I am now doing Green Chemistry R&D, across the Periodic Table of the Elements, in order to provide our customers, many of them in the electronics industry, with high purity fine chemicals, such as https://www.atomiclimits.com/alddatabase/ "precursors", allowing our customers to offer more sustainably manufactured products with improved performance.● Many of the synthetic targets are highly moisture and/or oxygen sensitive coordination complexes, requiring Schlenk line and glove box techniques. See, for example https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2023212652 ● Conduct product syntheses routinely on a 20 L scale.● Note: the "nano" in Impact Nano's name refers to us controlling the impurity levels of our products at the "nano, ppb in short scale," level.● For 8 months taught an experienced chemical equipment operator how to do glassware R&D lab scale experiments. Train, mentor and supervise summer interns and junior co-workers in analytical chemistry and synthetic inorganic chemistry using glove box + Schlenk line techniques.● 3 x lead a team to develop new-to-Impact Nano precursors. ● Educate coworkers about best chemical laboratory safety practices.● Provide technical expertise for all of the R&D and Product Development projects.● Provide technical updates to domestic and international customers.

Reason for leaving: loss of sales due to the competing technology D2T2, the trade war with China & COVID19 forced Zink to put R&D on hold.● Formulated thermochromic & functional mixtures/layers to replace individual components, to improve the waterborne coating quality (%solids, static+dynamic surface tension, viscosity=f(composition,T,shear rate)) & product performance (Dmin, Dmax, stability to environmental conditions & light, color gamut) of "Zink Paper."● Carefully analyzed coating defects to understand their root cause.● Carefully analyzed the optical effects of specific layers & the melting point of dye layers as a function of their composition to propose a Zink media with an expected improved color gamut.● Developed a Zink media activated by IR Laser light.● Identified suitable replacement materials when a component did not perform adequately or was discontinued by its manufacturer (which were often materials from the Cosmetics industry). ● By careful literature analysis reverse-engineered the synthesis of the discontinued surfactant Alkanol XC. ● Head of the MA office safety committee. ● Supervised & mentored junior coworkers. ● Provided technical expertise during internal & external business meetings with domestic & international global consumer electronics companies.● Supervised & troubleshooted the production of custom chemicals in Asia.● Supervised & instructed the chemistry work performed at 2 domestic CROs.● Simplified the pilot-plant production scale work-up procedures & purification to imaging quality of a Zink dye resulting in 30% cost savings. ● Performed hands-on synthesis & process optimization work of another Zink dye at a domestic custom manufacturer.● Invented a rhodamine dye having an optimized optical performance (lmax at the desired wavelength, minimized absorbance at other wavelengths, high turn-on by thermal printing), enhanced light stability & reduced cost of synthesis (6 instead of 9 steps of similar complexity).

Woburn, Massachusetts, Us

Reason for leaving: Metabolix closed its bio-polymers business in 2016-07.https://web.archive.org/web/20160821045351/http://ir.metabolix.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=980670● Invented and experimentally optimized synthetic routes to produce bio-based commodity & fine chemicals (acrylates, n-butanol, GBL) from bacterial energy storage polymers (PHAs). The project to synthesize GBL from PHA required working in a Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulated environment. ● Supervised work performed at the US Department of Agriculture and at a contract research organization. ● Supervised an in-house analytical scientist and a contract scientist.● Volunteered for the safety team.● Optimized the isolation of bacterial energy storage polymers from the fermentation broth. PHAs are biobased and biodegradable plastics.● Recovery, extraction, and analysis of samples from the fermentation pilot plant.● Synthesized metabolic intermediates for the microbial and plant metabolic engineering teams. These samples were also used by the analytical team as standards.● Analyzed microbial and plant samples for the presence, quantity, and novel polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) monomer composition.● Isolated, identified, and quantified terpenes from metabolically engineered plants. ● Performed plastics engineering and product development work, e.g., polyurethane foams, PHA paper coatings, PHA+PVC composites, PHA+PLA blends, time-release fertilizer, and waxes for cosmetics.● Analytical characterization using NMR, HPLC, GC-MS, IR, titration, thermal polymer analysis.

Reason for leaving: Draths was acquired as an asset purchase in 2011-10.http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/11/amyris-20111101.html● Invented and as a team optimized and scaled-up a commercially viable route from the fermentation product cis-cis muconic acid (serving as a platform chemical) to bio-based chemicals, such as purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and caprolactone.● Developed novel heterogeneous and homogeneous catalytic processes.● Trained, guided, and supervised BS/MS scientists, technicians, and interns.● Volunteered for the safety team.● Analytical characterization using NMR, HPLC, GC-MS, IR.● Provided technical chemistry expertise during internal and external business meetings with (potential) national and international partners. One of these meetings resulted in an external partner funding Draths' chemistry research program with nearly 0.5 million $.

Honolulu, Hi - Hawaii, Us

● Professional scientific consultation service. ● Translation service from German to English.

Research Advisor: Prof. Paul Helquist.(I did my work at the Walther Cancer Research Center, which is located at the University of Notre Dame, IN.)● Developed a novel synthetic route to the macrocyclic marine natural product iejimalide B, and completed its total synthesis, see A. This work is discussed by Nicolaou and Chen in "Classics in Total Synthesis III" Wiley-VCH, 2011 (http://www.amazon.com/Classics-Total-Synthesis-III-Strategies/dp/3527329579). Further optimization and scale-up is reported in B.● Discovered an efficient Pt-catalyzed hydroboration of complex molecules.● Synthesized a library of iejimalide analogues to probe a structure-activity relationship (SAR) of its anti-cancer activity, see C.● Synthesized an iejimalide-fluorophore/coumarin conjugate which allowed a cellular localization study, see C.● Isolated iejimalides A-D (sum ~ 0.003 mass %) by flash chromatography and HPLC from the crude tunicate acetone extract.● In addition, identified and isolated novel, even less abundant, marine natural products (0.0001 mass % each).● Trained, guided, and supervised undergraduate research students and new graduate students.● Analytical characterization using NMR, HPLC, IR, optical rotation, imaging spectroscopy, biological activity. Interpretation of biological data.Selected Publications:● A "Total Synthesis of Iejimalide B: an Application of the Shiina Macrolactonization" Organic Letters 2007, 9, 4619 (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ol702129w).● B "Total Synthesis of Iejimalide B" Journal of Organic Chemistry 2011, 76, 5157 (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jo200514m). This work was featured on the cover of JOC: http://lnkd.in/3TsXTX .● C "Synthesis of Carbamate Derivatives of Iejimalides: Retention of Normal Antiproliferative Activity and Localization of Binding in Cancer Cells" Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry 2007, 15, 3208 (http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0968-0896(07)00154-X).

Atlanta, Ga, Us

Research Advisor: Prof. Luigi Marzilli.● Developed selective nucleoside base alkylation methods. Performed their selective phosphorylation. These compounds were then used by other group members in NMR studies.● Synthesized linked fluorophore/coumarin-amine molecules enabling the detection of trace quantities of metal ions.● Managed database of porphyrins and phthalocyanines that were submitted for biological anti-viral activity testing.● Trained, guided, and supervised undergraduate research students and new graduate students.● Analytical characterization using NMR, UV/Vis spectroscopy, biological activity. Interpretation of biological data.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Title of Ph.D. Thesis: "Biomimetic Models of the Active Site of the Metalloenzyme Nitrile Hydratase." Research Advisor: Prof. Julie Kovacs.● Synthesized model compounds of the active site of the metalloenzyme nitrile hydratase to study its enzymatic mechanism. These were Fe and Co complexes in a mixed nitrogen/sulfur coordination sphere. Most complexes were penta-coordinated, allowing the study of their reactivity with species such as nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, azide, cyanide, thiocyanide, and nitriles.● Synthesized air and moisture sensitive inorganic metal-ligand coordination compounds in the glove box.● Designed new ligands and developed new synthetic routes to target structures.● Trained, guided, and supervised undergraduate research students and new graduate students.● Taught organic and introductory classes and laboratories.● Analytical characterization using NMR, UV/Vis spectroscopy, IR, MS, X-ray crystallography.Selected Publications: ● "The First Example of a Nitrile Hydratase Model Complex that Reversibly Binds Nitriles" Journal of the American Chemical Society 2002, 124, 11417 (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja012555f).● "Enhancing Reactivity via Structural Distortion" Inorganic Chemistry 2002, 41, 3128 (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ic0109187).● "How Do Oxidized Thiolate Ligands Affect the Electronic and Reactivity Properties of a Nitrile Hydratase Model Compound?" Journal of the American Chemical Society 2000, 122, 8299 (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja0017561).● "A Synthetic Model for the NO-Inactivated Form of Nitrile Hydratase" Journal of the American Chemical Society 1998, 120, 10996 (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja981117e).

Jena, Germany, De

Research Advisor: Prof. Rolf Hilgenfeld.(I did my work at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMB), which has since been incorporated into the Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute.)● Crystallized thermolysin mutants.● Collected in-house data, and data at the synchrotron near Trieste, Italy. ● Solved and refined protein crystal structures. ● Analytical characterization using protein crystallography.● My work was reported as a poster: http://tinyurl.com/Dirk-IMB (1 MB .pdf).

Austin, Tx, Us

Title of Diplomarbeit: "Synthesis of Water-Soluble Rubyrin."Research Advisors: Prof. Jonathan Sessler and Prof. Ernst-Gottfried Jäger. (The research for my German Diplom-Chemiker (German M.S. in Chemistry) degree was done in the laboratory of Prof. Sessler at the University of Texas at Austin.)● Designed and synthesized novel pyrroles, oligopyrroles, and expanded porphyrins, such as the rubyrin macrocycle.● Analytical characterization using NMR, UV/Vis spectroscopy.

Jena, Thüringen, De

Research Advisor: Prof. Ernst-Gottfried Jäger.● Synthesized and characterized macrocyclic compounds and their metal complexes (Jäger-type ligands and complexes).

Jena, Thüringen, De

Research Advisor: Prof. Udo Gräfe. (I did my work at the Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), which has since been incorporated into the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology.)● Isolated and purified natural products from tomatoes using HPLC.

Ph.D., Chemistry

Diplom-Chemiker (German M.S. In Chemistry), Chemistry

Abitur

Education record