Converting waste CO2 back into valuable liquid fuels or chemicals, with renewable electricity as the energy input, can revolutionize the way we produce chemical feedstocks while mitigating climate change. In traditional electrochemical CO2 reduction reactors generated liquid fuels are inevitably mixed with impurity ions (such as potassium, bicarbonate, etc.) in liquid electrolytes, which necessities energy- … Continued
The See Group investigates chemistry that enables sustainable, next-generation batteries to go beyond the conventional paradigm of lithium-ion batteries. Our research goals focus on developing the electrochemistry of Earth-abundant multivalent cations (e.g. Mg, Ca, and Zn) and multielectron processes. Multivalent batteries have the potential to increase capacity by an order of magnitude over lithium-ion. We … Continued
My research focuses on building a bridge between solid-state chemistry and condensed-matter physics to develop chemical guidelines for the development of new “quantum materials”. We think these materials are the key to enable future technologies, such as quantum computers, levitating trains or novel, highly sensitive sensors. Many of these developments are driven by the discipline … Continued
Proteins are molecular machines that are responsible for most processes essential for life. Proteins do not function in isolation and instead are connected through a vast network of dynamic and stable interactions, both with other proteins and with other biomolecules, such as RNA, DNA, or metabolites. Our research seeks to understand how this network of … Continued
Elucidating mechanisms by which light interacts with matter to generate characteristic spectral signatures has fundamental and applied impact in fields ranging from optics to surface science and applications as diverse as displays and sensors. We propose to explore a fundamentally divergent approach for generating structural color by controlling interference occurring when light undergoes multiple total … Continued
With the ultimate goal of rapid, automated determination of molecular structures at atomic resolution from as few as a thousand molecules, my group has pioneered the development of new methods in electron diffraction. Using these methods, we interrogate the atomic structure of varied molecular crystals. Equipped with a 300 KeV electron microscope, we are in … Continued
Organic species routinely interact with inorganic surfaces in a dynamic manner, influencing molecular activity and causing chemical changes in the underlying substrate over time. Understanding these differences in behavior is crucial for improving the performance of catalysts, preventing protein adsorption to medical implants, and synthesizing precision nanocrystals for biomedical or optical applications. However, because of … Continued
Research in the van der Veen lab aims at visualizing light-induced processes in materials with atomic-scale resolution. Conventional techniques either lack the spatial resolution necessary to resolve individual atoms, or they lack the temporal resolution required to capture structural rearrangements as they evolve. Van der Veen proposes the development and application of a unique, new … Continued
Despite significant advances in drug discovery over the past century, an abundance of disease-associated biological targets remain challenging or impossible to drug with traditional small molecule therapeutics. Large, structurally complex molecules have shown promise in engaging these targets, but often have poor drug-like properties and are inherently challenging to optimize. I propose two methods to … Continued
I lead a multi-disciplinary research group of chemists who are interested in the design and synthesis of new functionally precise polymers and their potential applications. Our approach starts at the sub-nanometer scale, whereby we synthesize monomers that are programmed with a particular type of molecular recognition or functionality that, when converted into polymers, ultimately leads … Continued