My group’s research is centered in inorganic chemistry. Three broad topics currently under investigation are: the development of metal complexes that possess photophysical, redox, and catalytic properties applicable to solar energy conversion and the synthesis of organic molecules, principally through photoredox catalysis; the exploration of inorganic compounds that form ordered supramolecular arrays on planar surfaces, … Continued
My research area is computational and theoretical chemistry. We focus on electronic structure theory, as well as efficient algorithms and software for using electronic structure methods to simulate chemistry on computers. Specific topics include density functional theory, wave function theory for strong correlations in ground and excited states, and analysis of intra- and inter-molecular interactions. … Continued
My laboratory focuses on synthetic organic chemistry. A major thrust involves the study of microbiome metabolites that have been implicated in colorectal cancer. We are trying to elucidate the structures of the metabolites and their mechanisms of genotoxicity, which will inform therapeutic strategies to combat colorectal cancer. A second focus involves developing new antibiotics to … Continued
Research in our group covers a wide range of subjects at the interface of physics, chemistry, and biology. Fast protein and RNA dynamics in vitro and in vivo are studied by laser temperature jump and by time-resolved microscopy. Laser-assisted scanning tunneling microscopy enables single molecule spectroscopy where the excited states of macromolecules and nanostructures can … Continued
A concerted effort of our lab is the development of novel techniques and approaches, relying on electron and nuclear spin magnetic resonance that enables the study of biomolecular structure, dynamics and interaction with unprecedented sensitivity, resolution and information content. A core focus of our lab’s development is dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) that amplifies the nuclear … Continued
My group is studying systems at the interface between materials chemistry and biology. We are exploring the use of RNA libraries for the synthesis of solid state materials with unusual shapes and crystal structures. Libraries of 10e14 unique RNAs have been used to generate and select materials with desired characteristics. We are also designing nanoscale … Continued
We use theory and computer simulation to study molecular phenomena at the frontiers of physical chemistry. The systems we study are diverse – ranging from aqueous solutions and interfaces, to biomolecular assemblies, to nanoscale materials – yet they share essential motifs of disorder and heterogeneity. Using the tools of modern statistical mechanics, we explore the … Continued
Despite traditional bulk approaches, we investigate the role of heterogeneities in complex materials by measuring dynamic processes on characteristic length- and timescales. To do so, we convert electron microscopy and optical super-resolution approaches into non-invasive and time-resolved microscopies of soft materials, uncovering surprising variations to explain emergent macroscopic material properties. These soft materials range from … Continued
I am a biophysical chemist focusing in the development of complex biophysical tools for observing living cells interact with nano-scale materials and devices. My recent innovation has been to identify the membrane curvature as a key biochemical signal at the cell-nanomaterial interface. I also developed vertical and nanosized electrodes that are capable of highly sensitive, … Continued
My group’s research is devoted to the synthesis of novel molecular substances, thus paving the way for exploratory reactivity studies and the study of chemical structure and bonding. Much of the research is organized around themes of small molecule and strong bond activation, including investigations of molecular nitrogen cleavage by low-coordinate transition-metal complexes and carbon … Continued