About

Sindee Simon is a Principal Investigator at NC State University within the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Her research focuses on the field of chemical and biomolecular engineering, with a particular emphasis on experimental facilities and research topics related to her expertise. She is actively involved in mentoring graduate students and contributing to the academic community through her research activities. Her contact information includes a phone number (806.834.8470) and email (slsimon@ncsu.edu), and she is associated with the Simon Group at NC State University.

Research topics

• Polymer chemistry
• Materials science
• Composite material
• Chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical engineering
• Thermodynamics
• Physical chemistry
• Chemical physics

Selected publications

• The rigid amorphous fraction and glass transition temperature in isotactic polypropylene and fibers using Flash DSC

  Thermochimica Acta · 2026-03-02 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• In Memoriam: Robert M. Kelly (1953–2026)

  Applied and Environmental Microbiology · 2026-04-30

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  ABSTRACT The chemical and biochemical engineering, microbiology, and biotechnology communities deeply mourn the passing of Dr. Robert M. Kelly, the Alcoa Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Director of the Biotechnology Program at NC State University. A towering pioneer in the biology of extremophiles, an esteemed educator and mentor, and a dedicated editor for Applied and Environmental Microbiology (AEM), Bob leaves behind an extraordinary legacy that reshaped our understanding of life at high temperatures.

  PublisherDOI

• Materials laboratories of the future for alloys, amorphous, and composite materials

  MRS Bulletin · 2025-01-29 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract In alignment with the Materials Genome Initiative and as the product of a workshop sponsored by the US National Science Foundation, we define a vision for materials laboratories of the future in alloys, amorphous materials, and composite materials; chart a roadmap for realizing this vision; identify technical bottlenecks and barriers to access; and propose pathways to equitable and democratic access to integrated toolsets in a manner that addresses urgent societal needs, accelerates technological innovation, and enhances manufacturing competitiveness. Spanning three important materials classes, this article summarizes the areas of alignment and unifying themes, distinctive needs of different materials research communities, key science drivers that cannot be accomplished within the capabilities of current materials laboratories, and open questions that need further community input. Here, we provide a broader context for the workshop, synopsize the salient findings, outline a shared vision for democratizing access and accelerating materials discovery, highlight some case studies across the three different materials classes, and identify significant issues that need further discussion. Graphical abstract

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Correction: Materials laboratories of the future for alloys, amorphous, and composite materials

  MRS Bulletin · 2025-02-28

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The glass transition and enthalpy recovery of polystyrene nanorods using Flash differential scanning calorimetry

  The Journal of Chemical Physics · 2024-03-27 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The glass transition (Tg) behavior and enthalpy recovery of polystyrene nanorods within an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template (supported nanorods) and after removal from AAO (unsupported nanorods) is studied using Flash differential scanning calorimetry. Tg is found to be depressed relative to the bulk by 20 ± 2 K for 20 nm-diameter unsupported polystyrene (PS) nanorods at the slowest cooling rate and by 9 ± 1 K for 55 nm-diameter rods. On the other hand, bulk-like behavior is observed in the case of unsupported 350 nm-diameter nanorods and for all supported rods in AAO. The size-dependent Tg behavior of the PS unsupported nanorods compares well with results for ultrathin films when scaled using the volume/surface ratio. Enthalpy recovery was also studied for the 20 and 350 nm unsupported nanorods with evolution toward equilibrium found to be linear with logarithmic time. The rate of enthalpy recovery for the 350 nm rods was similar to that for the bulk, whereas the rate of recovery was enhanced for the 20 nm rods for down-jump sizes larger than 17 K. A relaxation map summarizes the behavior of the nanorods relative to the bulk and relative to that for the 20 nm-thick ultrathin film. Interestingly, the fragility of the 20 nm-diameter nanorod and the 20 nm ultrathin film are identical within the error of measurements, and when plotted vs departure from Tg (i.e., T - Tg), the relaxation maps of the two samples are identical in spite of the fact that the Tg is depressed 8 K more in the nanorod sample.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• On the glass transition temperature of TNT

  Thermochimica Acta · 2024-03-28 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

  2024-05-31

  book-chapterSenior author

  This refers to the conventional use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems where the OCT signal intensity representing tissue reflectance is displayed in a gray or color scale to provide structural information with micronscale resolution.

  PublisherDOI

• Kinetics of nanoconfined benzyl methacrylate radical polymerization

  Journal of Polymer Science · 2024-02-05 · 5 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract The effect of nanoconfinement on the kinetics of benzyl methacrylate radical polymerization is investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. Controlled pore glass (CPG), ordered mesoporous carbons, and mesoporous silica are used as confinement media with pore sizes from 2 to 8 nm. The initial polymerization rate in CPG and mesoporous silica increases relative to the bulk and increases linearly with reciprocal pore size; whereas, the rate in the carbon mesopores decreases linearly with reciprocal pore size; the changes are consistent with the rate being related to the ratio of the pore surface area to pore volume. Induction times are longer for nanoconfined polymerizations, and in the case of CPG and carbon mesopores, autoacceleration occurs earlier, presumably due to the limited diffusivity and lower termination rates for the confined polymer chains. The molecular weight of the polymer synthesized in the nanopores is generally higher than that obtained in the bulk except at the lowest temperatures investigated. The equilibrium conversion under nanoconfinement decreases with decreasing temperature and with confinement size, exhibiting what appears to be a floor temperature at low temperatures.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Origin of the broad endothermic peak observed at low temperatures for polystyrene and metals in Flash differential scanning calorimetry*

  Polymer Engineering and Science · 2022-08-13 · 8 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract The glass transition behavior of polystyrene as a function of different cooling rates with scanning to two different end temperatures, 30°C and −80°C, was investigated for four different substrate conditions using Flash differential scanning calorimetry, a fast scanning nanocalorimetry technique. In addition, structural recovery of polystyrene was performed at 20°C for aging times from 0.01 s to 8 h with scanning to −80°C for the same samples. A broad endotherm appears to grow at low temperatures ( T << T g ) as cooling rate decreases and aging time increases, which is influenced by the substrate underlying the film, as well as by the end temperature condition in the scanning experiment. On the other hand, the endothermic overshoot associated with T g is not influenced by substrate or scan end temperature. In addition, indium and vapor‐deposited gold, both crystalline materials, show the growth of a very similar broad endotherm at low temperatures as cooling rate decreases and aging time increases indicating that the low‐temperature endotherm is an artifact and not a relaxation associated with the material under investigation. Several potential explanations are put forward.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Amorphization and Crystallization of Hexanitroazobenzene (HNAB) Using Conventional DSC and Flash DSC

  Propellants Explosives Pyrotechnics · 2022-08-03 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Abstract The present work presents results from an investigation of the glass transition and crystallization behaviors of HNAB tested over more than five orders of magnitude of cooling rate from 0.005 °C/s to 600 °C/s (0.3 to 36000 °C/min) by a combination of conventional and Flash differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The work quantifies the influence of the thermal amorphization route on the properties of this high explosive. Cooling rates faster than 100 °C/s (6000 °C/min) result in amorphous HNAB as expected from prior work, but we also find that amorphization of the HNAB occurs at cooling rates slower than 0.008 °C/s (0.5 °C/min). The behavior of the amorphous HNAB made by slow cooling is compared with that of amorphous HNAB made by fast cooling, as well as with that made by solvent casting in terms of glass transition temperature, apparent activation energy of glass transition, and dynamic fragility parameter m . Besides, the non‐isothermal crystallization response as a function of cooling rate is also reported. The thermal stability and decomposition energy of amorphous HNAB are compared with those of the crystalline counterpart, being similar heats of decomposition of 3295 and 3392 J/g, respectively; suggesting that the amorphous HNAB will have similar thermal stability and chemical energy to the crystalline form.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Relaxation Dynamics in Selenide-Based Chalcogenide Glasses: Characterization of the Intermediate Phase

  NSF · $300k · 2011–2015

• Relaxation of Slow Glassy Interphases in Polymeric Systems

  NSF · $580k · 2020–2021

• Nanoconfinement and its Influence on Polymerization

  NSF · $376k · 2012–2016

• Polymer Chain Length and Branching Effects on the Viscolestic Bulk Modulus and Structural Recovery at High Pressure

  NSF · $440k · 2006–2010

• Chain Entropy and Polymerization Thermodynamics: Quantifying Nanoconfinement Effects

  NSF · $390k · 2016–2019

Frequent coauthors

• Gregory B. McKenna

  Texas Tech University

  63 shared

• Yung P. Koh

  North Carolina State University

  58 shared

• Haoyu Zhao

  16 shared

• Qingxiu Li

  Shenzhen University

  15 shared

• Paul Bernazzani

  Lamar University

  13 shared

• Edward L. Quitevis

  Texas Tech University

  13 shared

• Dinghai Huang

  Tianjin University

  10 shared

• D. J. Plazek

  JP Laboratories (United States)

  10 shared

Education

• PhD, Chemical Engineering

  Princeton University

  1992

Awards & honors

• Society of Plastics Engineers International Award
• Society of Plastics Engineers Research Award
• Lifetime Achievement Award of the North American Thermal Ana…
• Fellow, American Physical Society
• Fellow, Society of Plastics Engineers