Dr. Nicholas Benfaremo

Principles of Chemistry professor and first-year faculty member Nicholas Benfaremo researches organic materials with interesting properties, be they electrical, mechanical or optical. He is also collaborating with professors from University of Southern Maine and University of New England on research involving organometallic compounds, which are luminescent. The main message he gives to his students is that he wants them to succeed.

Professor Benfaremo is interested in computers, which he considers to be great instructional and organizational tools. He uses them extensively in his course, putting all course information on WebCT, such as the syllabus, as well as handouts and links to useful Web sites. The environment and food are two of his interests. For many years, he was a professional baker, making pastries and wedding cakes. He enjoys playing the flute, learning the clarinet, and is very involved in martial arts.

Professor Benfaremo's publications include many articles as well as patents. The following is brief list of some of his publications:

RESEARCH GRANTS:
Professor Benfaremo is part of a five-member team of area scientist awarded a $360,000 federal grant from the National Science Foundation for fluorescent research. Read the story in the SJC Magazine.

Articles
"Synthesis and Characterization of Luminescent Polymers of Distyrylbenzenes with Oligo(ethylene glycol)Spacers" N. Benfaremo, D.J. Sandman, S. Tripathy, J. Kuman, K. Yang, M.F. Rubner and C. Lyons, Macromol. 1998, 31(11), 3595.

"Atomic Force Microscopy Studies of Crystals That Undergo Solid State Reaction Initiated by Ultraviolet or Ionizing Radiation" M.S. Tith, V. Shivshankar, N. Benfaremo and D.J. Sandman, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 1998, 313, 335.

"Perylene Polymers" K. Müllen, H. Quante, N. Benfaremo, Polymeric Materials Encyclopedia, J. C. Salamone, ed., CRC Press, 1996, vol. 7, 4999.

"Effect of a p-donor on the radical bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate" W. Wunderlich, N. Benfaremo, M. Klapper, K. Müllen, Macromol. Rapid Commun., 1996, 17, 433.

"Synthesis, Resolution and Crystal Structure of a New Optically Active Nitroxide Radical" N. Benfaremo, M. Steenbock, M. Klapper, K. Müllen, V. Enkelmann and K. Cabrera, Liebigs Annalen der Chemie, 1996, 1413.

U.S. Patents
4,699,724 Post-Coupled Mono-Substituted Lubricating Oil Dispersants and Viton Seal Additives, Theodore E. Nalesnik and Nicholas Benfaremo

4,904,404 Lubricating Oil Containing Viscosity Index Improver, Christopher S. Liu, N. Benfaremo, Maria M. Kapuscinski and Larry D. Grina

5,013,470 Multifunctional Lube Oil Additives: Ashless, Non-Phenolic Polymethacrylate Bound Antioxidant VI Improvers, N. Benfaremo

5,440,000 Dispersant-Antioxidant VI Improver, N. Benfaremo and Shyla J. Shirodkar

5,472,627 Polymeric Lubricant Additive Designed to Enhance Anit-wear, Anti-oxidancy, and Dispersancy thereof, N. Benfaremo

His presentations include the following:

PRESENTATIONS
New Chromic Polydiacetylene Crystals, N. Benfaremo, J.C. Stark, V. Shivshankar, J. Kumar and D.J. Sandman, Materials Research Society (Fall Meeting), Boston, MA, 1996

Progress in Urethane-Substituted Polydiacetylenes, D.J. Sandman, V. Shivshankar, J.C. Stark, N. Benfaremo, Z. Tsai, C. Sung, S.K. Tripathy, J. Kumar, American Chemical Society (212th Meeting), Orlando, FL, 1996

Optical Properties of Distyrylbenzene Chromophores and their Segmented Copolymers, N. Benfaremo, D.J. Sandman, S. Tripathy, J. Ruman, K. Yang, M.F. Rubner, C. Lyons, Materials Research Society, Symp. Proc. 1998, 488, 533.