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Twenty-two active and two Emeriti professors in the departments of chemistry, chemical and biological engineering, materials science and engineering, physics and astronomy, and the Center itself, together with their research associates--graduate students and postdoctoral fellows--form the center's team. Following is a list of current members, together with their department affiliation and, in most cases, a brief description of their areas of research.
Click here to view a listing of publications by each faculty member.
Michael J. Bedzyk, Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Research Interests: Development of novel X-ray probes for atomic-scale characterization of surfaces, interfaces, ultra-thin-films and nanostructures. In addition to using an in-house X-ray lab, we make extensive use of synchrotron X-ray facilities, where there is greatly enhanced chemical and structural sensitivity for studying systems as dilute as one-hundredth of an atomic monolayer.Linda Broadbelt, Professor, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Graduate Program Director
Research Interests: Multiscale modeling of complex reacting systems; design of nanostructured catalysts; discovery of novel biochemical pathways; polymerization and depolymerization kinetics.
Yip-Wah Chung, Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Research Interests: Surface science, tribology, design and characterization of hard coatings and thin films. We are interested in understanding how surface interactions affect friction and wear, especially in different temperature and environmental conditions. Our work in hard coatings focuses on the synthesis, characterization and applications of hard coatings in computer disk drives, dry machining, ultralow friction and various high-temperature tribological applications. We are also designing thin films and materials with excellent infrared reflection properties, for use in automotive and aviation applications.
Vinayak P. Dravid, Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Director, NUANCE Center
Research Interests: We investigate synthesis, patterning and characterization of nanostructured materials such as metal/alloy nanocrystals, biomolecular nanopatterns (DNA/proteins), interfaces between inorganic nanostructures and biomolecules, etc. These structures possess unique and novel morphologies and chemistry, and their electronic structure alsdepends on size and shape. Exploration of applications of such structures, including drug delivery, bio-diagnostics and bio-chem sensing.
Donald E. Ellis, Professor of Physics and Chemistry
Research Interests: We study the electronic structures of molecules, solids, interfaces, and surfaces theoretically to better understand and predict their chemical, electrical, spectroscopic, mechanical, and thermal properties.
Jean-Francois Gaillard, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research Interests: Current research focuses on the study of the chemical forms (speciation) and the biogeochemical cycles of elements in aquatic systems. The chemical speciation of elements determine their toxicity and availability to microorganisms. Conversely, microbes mediate changes in oxidation state and coordination, controlling therefore the speciation of elements in natural systems. The primary objective of his research group is to determine the analytical speciation of metals to better understand their fate in the environment and define appropriate remediation actions.
Franz M. Geiger, Associate Professor and Dow Chemical Company Professor
Research Interests: Using cutting-edge laser spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and computational techniques, we focus on the special role that surfaces and interfaces play in geochemistry, atmospheric chemistry and biophysics.
Kimberly A. Gray, Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Research Interests: My areas of research are environmental catalysis and physicochemical processes in natural and engineered environmental systems. We are studying the synthesis, characterization, and performance of photocatalytic materials, principally TiO2-based nano-composites. Currently, we are collaborating with materials scientists at Northwestern to prepare highly active nano-structured mixed phase titania catalysts using a variety of techniques and with chemists at Argonne National Laboratory to detail charge transfer behavior in these materials using EPR. This fundamental understanding of structure and function is guiding the use of these photoactive materials for applications in renewable energy (CO2 reduction, water splitting), water recycling (reactive membranes for chemical oxidation and disinfection, photoactive carbon nanotubes for reactions and separation) and air quality control (cabin air, building air handling).
Mark Hersam, Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Research Interests: Research group applies the fundamental paradigm of materials science and engineering (i.e., the development of structure-property-processing-performance relationships) to hybrid hard and soft materials at the nanometer length scale. In many cases, the objective is to apply organic molecules to inorganic substrates in an effort to increase the functionality of the resulting hybrid system (e.g., silicon-based molecular electronics and sensing). In other instances, an experimental technique that was originally developed for inorganic materials is adapted for the study of organic or biological systems (e.g., probing ion channels in living cells using conductive atomic force microscopy). This highly interdisciplinary research is enabled by a sophisticated suite of instrumentation including ultra-high vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and additional equipment for studying the electrical and optical properties of materials. Overall, the ongoing research projects range from fundamental studies (e.g., single molecule charge transport measurements using UHV STM) to applied technology development (e.g., optimization of carbon nanotube materials for electronic and optical devices).
Joseph T. Hupp, Morrison Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry
Research Interests: We make and study molecular materials and supramolecular assemblies. Some are designed to help us understand fundamental aspects of molecular recognition, directed assembly, light harvesting and directional energy transport, and electron transfer reactivity. Others are designed to exploit these phenomena to solve problems involving solar energy conversion, chemical fuel storage and release, chemical sensing, molecular transport and chemical separations, or selective catalysis.
Harold H. Kung, Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Research Interests: Catalysis, novel materials, sustainability, renewable energy, environmental chemistry, reaction engineering
Mayfair Chu Kung, Research Associate Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Research Interests: Environmental catalysis, oxide catalysis, preparation and characterization of oxidic gels.
George R. Lester, Adjunct Professor, Center for Catalysis and Surface Science
Laurence Daniel Marks, Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Research Interests: High-resolution electron microscopy; surface structure; surface radiation damage; catalysis and small particles; high-temperature superconductors; the relationship between chemical and atomic structure and properties; electron energy-loss spectroscopy.
Tobin J. Marks, V.N. Ipatieff Professor of Catalytic Chemistry, and Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Research Interests: Among the themes of our research are synthetic organo-f-element and early-transition metal organometallic chemistry, polymer chemistry, materials chemistry, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, molecule-based photonic materials, superconductivity, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, and biological aspects of transition metal chemistry.
SonBinh T. Nguyen, McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence, Dow Chemical Company Research Professor, Professor of Chemistry, and Director of the Integrated Science Program
Research Interests: Our research encompasses three divisions in chemical science: inorganic/organometallic chemistry, organic synthesis, and polymer science. We are also interested in environmental friendly catalysis and biomaterials.
Justin Notestein, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Research Interests: multifunctional materials and catalysts; molecularly structured surfaces; energy.Kenneth R. Poeppelmeier, Professor of Chemistry
Research Interests: Inorganic solid-state chemistry has always had widespread use in industrial applications and in diverse fields such as heterogeneous catalysis and ceramics. Our research, which ranges from the growth of single crystals to the synthesis of new transparent conductors, emphasizes the connections between the synthesis and structure of new materials, the physical properties of new materials, and the technological advances that result from these discoveries.
Wolfgang M.H. Sachtler, V.N. Ipatieff Professor (Emeritus) of Chemistry and Professor of Chemical Engineering Emeritus
Research Interests: Small metal clusters and isolated metal atoms in zeolite cages, prepared either by ion exchange or impregnation or by chemical vapor deposition. Reduction of Nitrogen oxides in emissions from lean burn engines. Catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide over zeolite supported rhodium carbonyl clusters.
Randall Q. Snurr, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Research Interests: molecular modeling; development of new materials, diffusion in nanoporous materials; adsorption; catalysis; membrane separations; energy storage
Peter C. Stair, Professor, Director of Center for Catalysis and Surface Science
Research Interests: Exploration of the interaction of molecular radicals with surfaces; the pathways and kinetics of reactions involving surface alkyl groups; in-situ characterization of catalysts and lubricant chemistry using UV Raman spectroscopy.
Eric Weitz, Professor of Chemistry
Research Interests: study of transient species. Species may exhibit transient behavior because of their reactivity or because they are in excited states. Reaction intermediates are a very important class of transient species, and their elucidation is critical to delineating and understanding chemical reaction mechanisms.
Professor Emeriti:
Duward F. Shriver, Morrison Professor of Chemistry Emeritus, Inorganic Chemistry
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