Education

Daniela White

Education and Training

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 1995-1996, Chemical Engineering Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Research Advisor: Professor Gary E. Winek

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 1993-1995, Chemistry Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Postdoctoral Research Advisor: Professor Krzysztof Matyjaszewski

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering - Polymers, 1992, “Politehnica” University of Bucharest,
Romania

Research Skills and Interests

- New self-assembled, biodegradable, biocompatible polymers and copolymers with specifically designed/engineered architectures for controlled drug-release carriers.
- Gold nanoparticles, plasmonic photocatalysts, theranostic nanoparticles, nanomedicine
- Encapsulation techniques: nanoemulsions, nanodispersions, solid-lipid nanoparticles, spray-drying of water-soluble flavors and nutraceuticals, fluidizer
bed coating of bioactives
- pH controlled release of nanodispersed nutraceuticals and kinetics analysis by Sotex/HPLC
- Inorganic (metal, QD, metal oxides) and organic biodegradable nanoparticles (polymers, proteins, polysaccharides, core-shell, polymersomes) for controlled/targeted drugs/nutraceuticals delivery
- Synthesis and formulation of acrylic-, polyurethane-, polyesters based solventborne and waterborne coatings (primers, basecoats, clearcoats).
- Surface-modified highly stabilized inorganic surface-active nanoparticles dispersions for ceramic-type clearcoats with highly improved mar and scratch resistance.
- Well-controlled polymerizations (atom-transfer radical, anionic-coordinative, Ziegler-Natta), (solution, emulsion, suspension), methathesis of vinyl polar and non-polar monomers, cycloolefins, substituted acetylenes, leading to polymers and block-copolymers with well-defined architectures.
- Advanced polymeric materials (photoresists, special additives and coatings, non-linear optical properties, electrically induced luminescence, magnetic properties), prepared by radical and/or controlled ionic-coordinative techniques.
- Characterization of monomers and polymers by spectroscopic (1H-, 13C-, 29Si-, 31P-NMR, FTIR, MS, UV-VIS, DSC, TGA) and chromatographic (GPC, GPEC, GC) methods.
- Complex CMP slurries based on nanoparticles (silica, alumina, ceria, etc) for advanced nodes IC: metals (W, Ti, TiN, Ta, Ru, Cu) and dielectrics (TEOS, low K, ultra low K, etc.)
- Stable particles and polymer colloidal dispersions, synthesis, characterization and applications as CMP slurry formulations.
- Understanding particles/surfactants interactions below and above cmc.
- Surface energy (contact angle) measurements on hydrophobic and hydrophic coatings, metal and dielectric wafers, mar and scratch tests, formulation of coatings compositions and aqueous polishing slurries.
- Understanding structure-properties relationships and interfacial interactions in multi-layered coatings, particles/polymers surfaces in nanoparticles complex dispersions and slurries.
- Particle characterization by Dynamic Light Scattering and Zeta potential, Streaming potential of surfaces, ATR-FTIR on metal and dielectric wafers.

Core Research Competencies

➢ Organic Synthesis • Polymer characterization
➢ Polymer synthesis • FTIR
➢ Radical (+ living) polymerization • UV-VIS spectroscopy
➢ Anionic polymerization • Gas Chromatography
➢ Cationic polymerization • Glove Box Techniques
➢ Acrylics • Metal oxides dispersion
➢ Emulsion polymerization • Zeta Potential
➢ 1H, 31P, 13C, 29Si, 27Al NMR spectroscopy
➢ FTIR and Raman on nanoparticles • Contact angle/SE
➢ Gel Permeation Chromatography • Logitech Polishing
➢ TGA/DTA
➢ Nanoencapsulation of bioactives
➢ Nanotechnology
➢ Nanoparticles synthesis and characterization
➢ Controlled release • Surface and Interfacial
Interactions
➢ GC/MS • Design of Experiments
➢ High vacuum line • Chemical Mechanical
Planarization
• Particle size
➢ High pressure reactors • Streaming potential
➢ Slurry Formulation • Dynamic Light Scattering