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Tennyson-Smith Research Group
Clemson University
Advocating academic accessibility for all.
Professor Rhett Smith got his chemistry training at the University of Toledo (B.S.), Case Western Reserve University (Ph.D.) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship), and he has been a professor of organic chemistry at Clemson University since 2006.
rhett@clemson.edu
Hunter Laboratory Room 479
Group News:
Fall 2024: So proud of our students who presented at the ACS National Meeting in Denver! (From left to right: Barbara Guinati, Shalini Wijeyatunga, Nawoda Kapuge Dona, and Dr. Rhett Smith).
Fall 2024: We were excited to welcome the new first-year graduate students to Clemson at the annual Department Picnic! Many group members were able to attend (left to right Shalini Wijeyatunga, Dr. Sauceda, Baja Ksor, Dr. Rhett Smith, Dr. Ashlyn Smith, Barbara Guinati, and Nawoda Kapuge Dona).
Fall 2024: Congratulations to group Ph.D. graduate Professor Moira Lauer, who is starting a position as a tenure track faculty member at UNC Pembroke. We are excited to see the amazing research she starts in her independent career!
Fall 2024: Professor Rhett Smith has been named a finalist for the InnoVision Award in Sustainability, an award for impactful work from the state of South Carolina contributing to commercialization of new sustainable technologies. All credit to the hard working students wo
Fall 2024: Congratulations to Katelyn Tisdale for starting new positions as an adjunct instructor at Erskine College and Tricounty Technical College! Your students are very lucky to have such a talented teacher!
Fall 2024: We would like to welcome Perla Y. Sauceda-Olono to the group leadership team! Our leadership team now includes four faculty members: Professors Rhett Smith, Andy Tennyson, Ashlyn Smith, and Perla Sauceda.
Fall 2024: Congratulations to Perla Y. Sauceda-Olono for starting her new position on the faculty at Clemson University! One of the exciting roles that Dr. Sauceda will undertake is as the architect of a new and innovative Teaching Assistant Training program to support our undergraduates and prepare our graduate students to succeed in the workforce.
Fall 2024: Professor Rhett Smith has been awarded the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation Innovate Award for innovative research in the areas of fats and proteins in North America. This award is the result of the herculean efforts of the students in the group who have all contributed to this work!
Summer 2024: We are so proud of Katey Derr (right) and Perla Sauceda-Olono (left) for their amazing representation at the 2024 Gordon Research Conference on Green Chemistry in Barcelona, Spain!
Summer 2024: Congratulations to Perla Y. Sauceda-Olono for defending her Ph.D. Dissertation titled "Recyclable Composites Prepared From Animal Coproducts And Industrial Waste Sulfur" (left to right: (Dr. Rhett Smith, Dr. Ashlyn Smith, Dr Tennyson, Dr. Sauceda, Shalini Wijeyatunga (front), Baja Ksor (back), Nawoda Kapuge Dona (front), Katelyn Tisdale (back) and Katey Derr)
Summer 2024: We are excited to have a new Ph.D. student, Baja Ksor, join the group this summer! Baja will be working on making sustainable plastics from low-value agricultural products.
Spring 2024: The group is excited to report that we have received 7 new research grants this spring to pursue sustainable materials for structural and functional applications. We sincerely thank the Department of Agriculture, the South Carolina Research Authority, the Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship, the Animal Coproducts Research and Education Center, the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Clemson University Research Foundation for supporting our work!
Spring 2024: Group gathering at Dr. and Dr. Smith's house, where the group played "Minute to Win It" games that Dr. Rhett Smith claims he dominated despite losing to Dr. Ashlyn Smith. (left to right: Barbara Guinati, Perla Sauceda, Dr. Tennyson (back row), Shalini Wijeyatunga (front row), Dr. Ashlyn Smith, Dr. Rhett Smith, Nawoda Kapuge Dona, Katelyn Tisdale, and Katey Derr)
Pre-2024:
Congratulations to Charini Maladeniya for starting her postdoctoral position at Oak Ridge National Labs!
Congratulations to Claudia Lopez for starting her full time position at DuPont!
Congratulations to Claudia Lopez, Smith group Ph.D. Student, on starting her first day as an intern at NASA Langley Research Center!
Congratulations to Charini Maladeniya! She has won the 2022 Three Minute Thesis competition for all Ph.D. students at Clemson University and will represent us at the regional competition in the Spring!
The Smith group received three new major research grants in Summer 2022! We are excited to work on these new projects!
Congratulations to Moira Lauer for successfully defending her Ph.D.! She has already started a position with the U.S. Air Force Research Lab. Way to go, Dr. Lauer!!
Congratulations to Menisha Karunarathna for successfully defending her Ph.D.! She has already started a position at Oak Ridge National Lab. So proud of you Dr. Karunarathna!!
Smith group member Timmy Thiounn's paper on Plastic Recycling was one of the top 1% most cited chemistry articles in the world in 2020!
Publications in Sustainable Plastics and Building Materials
Our research team undergraduates engages in concerted efforts to improve the sustainability and recyclability of plastics and building materials. The Smith group has been featured in the news recently for these efforts for sustainable cement and for evaluating ways to recycle plastics. Recent publications from the Smith group describe these efforts in more detail.
1. Wijeyatunga, S.K.; Derr, K.M.; Maladeniya, C.P.; Sauceda-Oloño, P.Y.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Upcycling waste PMMA to durable composites via a transesterification-inverse vulcanization process. Journal of Polymer Science 2024, 62, 554-563, doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/pol.20230609.
2. Tisdale, K.A.; Dona, N.L.K.; Maladeniya, C.P.; Smith, R.C. Green and Atom Economical Route to High Compressive Strength Lignin Oil-Sulfur Composites. Journal of Polymers and the Environment 2024, doi:10.1007/s10924-024-03287-5.
3. Sauceda-Oloño, P.Y.; Lopez, C.V.; Patel, B.K.; Smith, A.D.; Smith, R.C. Influence of Thermal and Chemical Stresses on Thermal Properties, Crystal Morphology, and Mechanical Strength Development of a Sulfur Polymer Composite. Macromol 2024, 4, 240-252, doi:10.3390/macromol4020013.
4. Kapuge Dona, N.L.; Maladeniya, C.P.; Smith, R.C. Reactivity of Biomass-Derived Olefins with Elemental Sulfur: Mechanistic Insight. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2024, n/a, e202301269, doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.202301269.
5. Guinati, B.G.S.; Sauceda Oloño, P.Y.; Kapuge Dona, N.L.; Derr, K.M.; Wijeyatunga, S.K.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Upcycling mixed-material waste with elemental sulfur: applications to plant oil, unseparated biomass, and raw post-consumer food waste. RSC Sustainability 2024, doi:10.1039/D4SU00104D.
6. Tisdale, K.A.; Maladeniya, C.P.; Lopez, C.V.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Sustainable Composites from Waste Sulfur, Terpenoids, and Pozzolan Cements. Journal of Composites Science 2023, 7, 35-47, doi:10.3390/jcs7010035.
7. Thiounn, T.; Karunarathna, M.S.; Lauer, M.K.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Detoxification of bisphenol A via sulfur-mediated carbon–carbon σ-bond scission. RSC Sustainability 2023, 1, 535-542, doi:10.1039/D2SU00138A.
8. Sauceda-Olono, P.Y.; Borbon-Almada, A.C.; Gaxiola, M.; Smith, A.D.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Recyclable Composites Prepared from Bio-Olefins and Industrial Waste. J. Compos. Sci. 2023, 7, 248-259, doi:10.3390/jcs7060248.
9. Maladeniya, C.P.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Single-stage chemical recycling of plastic waste to yield durable composites via a tandem transesterification-thiocracking process. Journal of Polymer Science 2023, 61, 787-793, doi:10.1002/pol.20220686.
10. Maladeniya, C.P.; Dona, N.L.K.; Smith, A.D.; Smith, R.C. Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Guaiacol-Fatty Acid-Sulfur Composites. Macromol 2023, 3, 681-692, doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/macromol3040038.
11. Lopez, C.V.; Derr, K.M.; Smith, A.D.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Chemical, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties of Sulfur Polymer Composites Comprising Low-Value Fats and Pozzolan Additives. Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) 2023, 5, 2166-2181, doi:10.3390/chemistry5040146.
12. Graham, M.J.; Lopez, C.V.; Maladeniya, C.P.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Influence of pozzolans on plant oil-sulfur polymer cements: More sustainable and chemically-resistant alternatives to Portland cement. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2023, 140, e53684, doi:10.1002/app.53684.
13. Derr, K.M.; Smith, R.C. One-Pot Method for Upcycling Polycarbonate Waste to Yield High-Strength, BPA-Free Composites. Journal of Polymer Science 2023, 62, 1115-1122, doi:10.1002/pol.20230724.
14. Derr, K.M.; Lopez, C.V.; Maladeniya, C.P.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Transesterification-vulcanization route to durable composites from post-consumer poly(ethylene terephthalate), terpenoids, and industrial waste sulfur. Journal of Polymer Science 2023, 61, 3075-3086, doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/pol.20230503.
15. Lopez, C.V.; Smith, A.D.; Smith, R.C. High strength composites from low-value animal coproducts and industrial waste sulfur. RSC Adv. 2022, 12, 1535-1542, doi:10.1039/d1ra06264f.
16. Lauer, M.K.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Thermomorphological and mechanical properties of vulcanized octenyl succinate/terpenoid-derivatized corn starch composites. Materials Advances 2022, 3, 4186-4193, doi:10.1039/D1MA01202A.
17. Maladeniya, C.P.; Smith, R.C. Influence of Component Ratio on Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Terpenoid-Sulfur Composites. J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5, 257, doi:10.3390/jcs5100257.
18. Lauer, M.K.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Inverse vulcanization of octenyl succinate-modified corn starch as a route to biopolymer-sulfur composites. Mater. Adv. 2021, 2, 2391-2397, doi:10.1039/d0ma00948b.
19. Lauer, M.K.; Sanders, Z.E.; Smith, A.D.; Smith, R.C. Morphological and mechanical characterization of high-strength sulfur composites prepared with variably-sized lignocellulose particles. Materials Advances 2021, 2, 7413-7422 doi:10.1039/D1MA00689D.
20. Thiounn, T.; Lauer, M.K.; Karunarathna, M.S.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Copolymerization of a Bisphenol a Derivative and Elemental Sulfur by the RASP Process. Sus. Chem. 2020, 1, 183-197.
21. Thiounn, T.; Karunarathna, M.S.; Slann, L.M.; Lauer, M.K.; Smith, R.C. Sequential Crosslinking for Mechanical Property Development in High Sulfur Content Composites. J. Poly. Sci. 2020, 58, 2943-2950, doi:10.1002/pol.20190261.
22. Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Free fatty acid-based composites. US2019-710873
20200190429, 20191211 2020.
23. Smith, A.D.; Smith, R.C.; Tennyson, A.G. Carbon-Negative Polymer Cements by Copolymerization of Waste Sulfur, Oleic Acid, and Pozzolan Cements. Sust. Chem. Pharm. 2020, In Press.
24. Smith, A.D.; Smith, R.C.; Tennyson, A.G. Polymer cements by copolymerization of waste sulfur, oleic acid, and pozzolan cements. Sust. Chem. Pharm. 2020, 16, 100249, doi:10.1016/j.scp.2020.100249.
25. Smith , A.D.; Smith, R.C.; Tennyson, A.G. Sulfur-Containing Polymers Prepared from Fatty Acid-Derived Monomers: Application of Atom-Economical Thiol-ene/Thiol-yne Click Reactions and Inverse Vulcanization Strategies Sus. Chem. 2020, 1, 209-237, doi:10.3390/suschem1030015.
26. Smith, A.D.; McMillin, C.D.; Smith, R.C.; Tennyson, A.G. Copolymers by Inverse Vulcanization of Sulfur with Pure or Technical Grade Unsaturated Fatty Acids. J. Poly. Sci. 2020, 58, 438-445, doi:10.1002/pola.29436.
27. Maladeniya, C.P.; Karunarathna, M.S.; Lauer, M.K.; Lopez, C.V.; Thiounn, T.; Smith, R.C. A Role for Terpenoid Cyclization in the Atom Economical Polymerization of Terpenoids with Sulfur to Yield Durable Composites. Materials Advances 2020, 1, 1665 - 1674, doi:10.1039/D0MA00474J.
28. Lopez, C.V.; Maladeniya, C.P.; Smith, R.C. Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Advances and Trends. Electrochem. 2020, 1, 226-259, doi:10.3390/electrochem1030016.
29. Lauer, M.K.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Green Synthesis of Thermoplastic Composites from a Terpenoid-Cellulose Ester. ACS Applied Polymer Materials 2020, 2, 3761-3765, doi:10.1021/acsapm.0c00803.
30. Lauer, M.K.; Karunarathna, M.S.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Recyclable, sustainable, and stronger than portland cement: a composite from unseparated biomass and fossil fuel waste. Mater. Adv. 2020, 1, 590-594, doi:10.1039/d0ma00270d.
31. Lauer, M.K.; Karunarathna, M.S.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Robust, remeltable and remarkably simple to prepare biomass-sulfur composites. Mater. Adv. 2020, 1, 2271-2278, doi:10.1039/d0ma00538j.
32. Karunarathna, M.S.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Facile new approach to high sulfur-content materials and preparation of sulfur-lignin copolymers. J. Mater. Chem. A 2020, 8, 548-553 doi:10.1039/c9ta10742h.
33. Karunarathna, M.S.; Smith, R.C. Valorization of Lignin as a Sustainable Component of Structural Materials and Composites: Advances from 2011 to 2019 Sustainability 2020, 12, 734-748, doi:10.3390/su12020734.
34. Karunarathna, M.S.; Lauer, M.K.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Copolymerization of an aryl halide and elemental sulfur as a route to high sulfur content materials. Polym. Chem. 2020, 11, 1621-1628, doi:10.1039/c9py01706b.
35. Karunarathna, M.S.; Lauer, M.K.; Smith, R.C. Facile route to an organosulfur composite from biomass-derived guaiacol and waste sulfur. J. Mater. Chem. A 2020, 8, 20318-20322, doi:10.1039/D0TA07465A.
36. Thiounn, T.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Durable, acid-resistant copolymers from industrial by-product sulfur and microbially-produced tyrosine. RSC Adv. 2019, 9, 31460-31465, doi:10.1039/c9ra06213k.
37. Smith, J.A.; Green, S.J.; Petcher, S.; Parker, D.J.; Zhang, B.; Worthington, M.J.H.; Wu, X.; Kelly, C.A.; Baker, T.; Gibson, C.T.; et al. Crosslinker Copolymerization for Property Control in Inverse Vulcanization. Chemistry - A European Journal 2019, 25, 10433-10440, doi:10.1002/chem.201901619.
38. Smith, A.D.; Thiounn, T.; Lyles, E.W.; Kibler, E.K.; Smith, R.C.; Tennyson, A.G. Combining agriculture and energy industry waste products to yield recyclable, thermally healable copolymers of elemental sulfur and oleic acid. J. Poly. Sci. A 2019, 57, 1704-1710, doi:10.1002/pola.29436.
39. Lauer, M.K.; Estrada-Mendoza, T.A.; McMillen, C.D.; Chumanov, G.; Tennyson, A.G.; Smith, R.C. Durable Cellulose–Sulfur Composites Derived from Agricultural and Petrochemical Waste. Adv. Sust. Syst. 2019, 3, 1900062, doi:10.1002/adsu.201900062.
40. Karunarathna, M.S.; Lauer, M.K.; Thiounn, T.; Smith, R.C.; Tennyson, A.G. Valorization of waste to yield recyclable composites of elemental sulfur and lignin. J. Mater. Chem. A 2019, 7, 15683-15690, doi:10.1039/c9ta03222c.
41. Thiounn, T.; Lauer, M.K.; Bedford, M.S.; Smith, R.C.; Tennyson, A.G. Thermally-healable network solids of sulfur-crosslinked poly(4-allyloxystyrene). RSC Adv. 2018, 8, 39074-39082, doi:10.1039/c8ra06847j.
Educational Access Efforts
Free online Organic Chemistry Education and Science Literature. Professor Smith created a free online organic chemistry class to increase accessibility to knowledge and to help everyone who is trying to adapt to our increased reliance on online learning during the pandemic. This is a complete organic chemistry class, with an online textbook, mini-quizzes after each lesson for self-assessment, traditional lecture videos, and a lot of teaching through solved problem videos. Dr. Smith has released a free Organic for the MCAT Course as well.Professor Smith is also a strong proponent of Open Access journals, and serves on the editorial boards of two Open Access journals: Sustainability and Sustainable Chemistry.
Student Mental Health
Rhett Smith led the Neuroscience Group at Clemson University. This is a group of undergraduates doing research and working to help college students understand mental health issues and how they influence the social and academic lives of college students. These efforts have led to the publication of a book "Your Concise Primer on ADHD and Related Conditions" coauthored by the undergraduate students and edited by Professor Smith. The Neuroscience Group is currently working to prepare a book on Anxiety disorders as a resource for students.
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