This dissertation focuses on the study of the superionic state in multicomponent systems, where the smaller component exhibits delocalization and mobility while still maintaining system compactness through component attractions. Superionic behavior is widely observed in various systems and plays a crucial role in ceramic superionic conductors, which offer high ion...
One of the greatest challenges in heterogeneous catalysis is the rational design and development of new catalytic systems, due to synthetic limitations in the design of solid catalysts and inhomogeneity of chemical sites at solid surfaces. This obfuscates understanding of catalyst behavior and slows improvements of processes. One approach to...
This dissertation describes investigations into the two primary mechanisms by which the optical bandgap of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) may be post-synthetically modified: (i) by the quantum-confined Stark effect and (ii) by exciton-delocalizing surface capping ligands. This work demonstrates that through the use of ligand-exchange strategies that enable either of...
Clean water supplies are required for industry and general life. However, water shortages dueto pollution and human activity are increasingly common, and new, more efficient, materials need
to be made to increase clean water supplies. To do this, fundamental information on the interaction
of water with ions at the atomic...
In an era of personalized medicine, the clinical community has become increasingly focused on understanding diseases at the cellular and molecular level. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful imaging modality for acquiring anatomical and functional information. However, it has limited applications in field of molecular imaging due to low...
It is said across numerous disciplines, from biology to architecture to software engineering, that “form ever follows function.” This adage highlights the intimate relationship between structural characteristics and functional properties in many disparate fields of work. Here, we discuss how the catalytic activity and compressibility of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are...
The continuing increase in atmospheric CO2 to concentrations exceeding 400 ppm has attracted considerable attention from both scientists and policymakers. Industrial fossil fuel consumption generates a significant amount of CO2 emissions, and in particular, energy-intensive molecular separations that require thermal processes, such as distillation, drying, or evaporation, are responsible for...
Increasing industrialization and the resulting negative environmental impacts highlight the need to develop alternative renewable energy sources. The Sun is a massive source and organic solar cells are a growing field of study. As new materials are synthesized, the efficiencies of organic solar cells continue to grow, but without an...
Deciphering the targets of axonal projections plays a pivotal role in interpreting neuronal function and pathology. Neuronal tracers are indispensable neurobiology tools for elucidating advanced functions and interactions between different subregions of the brain. Commercially available neuronal tracers include small molecule dyes, viruses, and synthetic nanoparticles. Among these options, viral...
This work combines the use of high-throughput mass spectrometry with peptide arrays for to monitor reactions on peptides. The Mrksich lab introduced a high-throughput, label-free, biochemical assay that relies on self-assembled monolayers on gold and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, termed SAMDI-MS. This dissertation introduces new applications of SAMDI-MS and...