Department of Chemistry

Faculty

Machan

The Machan Group is interested in energy-relevant catalysis, particularly at the interface of molecular electrochemistry and materials. The development of efficient and selective transformations to produce commodity chemical precursors and fuels using CO2, O2, H2, and H2O as reagents remains an ongoing challenge for the storage of electrical energy within chemical bonds. Our approach is inspired by the numerous metalloproteins capable of catalyzing kinetically challenging reactions with significant energy barriers in an efficient manner under ambient conditions.

Hilinski

The science of organic synthesis is central to both the discovery and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and other fine chemicals and the emergence of subdisciplines of biology that are becoming increasingly focused on phenomena at the molecular level (e.g., synthetic biology and chemical biology). Over the last half-century revolutionary advances in synthetic organic chemistry have made it possible to synthesize virtually any molecule given enough time, money, and manpower.

Herbst

Professor Herbst’s major research field lies in the interdisciplinary area of molecular astronomy, which is the study of molecules throughout the universe, especially in regions in between stars known as interstellar clouds. These objects eventually collapse to form new generations of stars and planetary systems, so the molecules found in interstellar clouds are related to the molecules found in planets such as our own.

Garrod

Astrochemistry concerns the behavior of atoms and molecules in astrophysical environments, which can include star-forming clouds and cores, and circumstellar and interstellar regions, and the solar system. The varied gas-phase chemical compositions of interstellar environments are revealed by radio-telescope observations of molecular spectral-line emission and absorption in the cm, mm and sub-mm bands. Infrared observations also indicate significant solid-phase abundances of simple hydrides, in the form of ices, which coat the sub-micron sized dust grains that permeate interstellar space.

Gahlmann

One key area in understanding bacterial cell biology is spatiotemporal phenomena: Where, when, and how do individual biomolecules act and interact to govern the overall physiology of the cell?  To answer this question, we develop new high-resolution imaging methods for 3D single-molecule localization in intact bacterial cells.  In particular, we combine the resolving power of the electron microscope with the single-molecule sensitivity and specificity of fluorescence-based methods.  With these tools, we can localize single biomolecules in 3D space with a precision

Fraser

Research in the Fraser Lab is concerned with materials chemistry—synthesis, properties, and applications, along with environmental, health and societal impacts. While developing routes to polymeric metal complexes—well-defined hybrid inorganic-organic materials inspired by metalloproteins, combining coordination chemistry and controlled polymerization—we made two important discoveries involving luminescent boron complexes.  Difluoroboron β-diketonate dyes show intense fluorescence, 2-photon absorption, and environment sensitive emission.

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