Nanoscience

Solid-state and molecular synthesis of f-element and main group metal systems. Combining high-pressure conditions, synchrotron X-ray techniques and computational predictions to elucidate the electronic structure of new compounds with applications in energy transport and information storage.

Electrochemical measurement and instrumentation, with special attention to ion transport and electron transfer at small scales.

Solid-state and materials chemistry with an emphasis on metastable compounds, electronic phase transitions, theory-guided materials design, electronic structure, development of synchrotron methods for imaging and spectroscopy, energy conversion and storage, and functional coatings.

Surface and interfacial phenomena, including charge transport in organic molecules, nanoparticle catalysis, semiconducting and 2D nanomaterials, plasmonics, tribology, "smart" surfaces, and self-organizing nanoscale materials for device applications.

Research in the Bergbreiter group focuses on polymer, organic, catalysis, and surface chemistry and involves modifying polymers, inventing sustainable safe solvents, and making synthetic and catalysis chemistry greener.

Design of transition and rare earth metal compounds with conducting and magnetic properties. Applications of supramolecular chemistry of anions and organic radicals in the design of functional materials and drugs. Anticancer properties of photochemically activated metal drug complexes for photodynamic therapy. Metal-metal bonded complexes as solar photochemical and electrochemical catalysts for water and carbon dioxide reduction.

Organic and polymer synthesis, physical organic investigation, and process engineering of functional π-conjugated systems for electronic, photonic, and energy applications.

Structure-property relationships in polymer-nanoparticle systems (nanocomposites and thin films)  for real world applications such as gas separation, flame retardancy and thermoelectric energy generation (e.g., turning body heat into useful voltage).

New methods for polymer synthesis and functionalization of complex molecules; sequence-controlled polymerization; design of conjugated polymers for electronic devices and energy storage/conversion.

Application of fundamental organic chemistry reactions to the modification and functionalization of small molecules, polymers, and particles to prepare new composite architectures, and use of these structures to realize properties not possible with current state-of-the-art systems.

Development of mass spectrometry instrumentation and methodology for molecular surface analysis at the nanoscale, applications include the characterization of nano-objects, macromolecular architectures, 2D-materials and the co-localization of molecules at catalytic sites and on biological surfaces.

Spectroscopy, optical and scanning probe microscopies, materials science, nanoscience, focusing on optical behavior of nanoscale materials with applications in solar energy, photocatalysis, and more broadly, photochemistry and nanophotonics.

Energy & charge transfer process in nanocrystalline semiconductor and metallic materials and their heterostructures, time-resolved and spatially resolved spectroscopy, applications in energy harvesting, photonics and photocatalysis.

Synthetic strategies for degradable polymers derived from natural products, unique macromolecular architectures and complex polymer assemblies, designed for practical implementation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, as non-toxic anti-biofouling or anti-icing coatings, as materials for microelectronics device applications, or as pollutant remediation systems.

Inorganic and materials chemistry, focusing on design and synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) applied to energy-related research (e.g., CO2 capture, H2 storage), catalysis, and biomedical applications.