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tamuchemistry.bsky.social
Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University
@tamuchemistry.bsky.social
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tamuchemistry.bsky.social
Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 9h
Dr. Fuwu Zhang (Miami) will present his seminar "Functional Nanomaterials Designed for Advanced Therapeutic Delivery" on October 23, 2025 at 11:30 AM in 2104 CHEM. Join us!
Seminar flyer with ATM log Abstract text: Many therapeutic agents including small molecular drugs, nucleic acids, and proteins have limited efficacy and may cause serious side effects due to unsatisfactory pharmacokinetics and biodistribution, as well as other unfavorable physiochemical properties. To address these challenges, we leverage cutting-edge organic and polymer syntheses to create functional nanomaterials to deliver these therapeutic agents to their targeted tissues, aiming to improve the current disease treatments. This seminar will explore the rational design, synthesis, and biomedical application of well-defined polymeric nanomaterials engineered to enhance therapeutic delivery. Emphasis will be placed on two complementary strategies for constructing nanotherapeutics with tunable and stimuli- responsive drug release. These approaches enable triggered drug release at targeted tissues and cells, offering improved pharmacokinetics and enhanced therapeutic efficacy. A picture of Dr. Zhang is shown in front of a brick wall with his biography in a sidebar. Biography text: Fuwu Zhang received his Ph.D. degree in polymer chemistry from Texas A&M University In 2015. After completing his postdoctoral training at National Institutes of Health and Texas A&M University, he began his independent career as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Miami in 2020. Currently, his research focuses on the translation of organic and polymer chemistry to functional responsive nanomaterials for advanced disease treatment. Dr. Zhang has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles, and he received the 2023 NSF CAREER award and 2024 NIH MIRA award, 2025 UM Dean’s Excellence Award, Provosts’ Research Award, and 2025 ASEMFL Rising Star. He has also been recognized as an emerging investigator by the journals of JMCB, Nanoscale, and Biomaterials Science.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 9h
Dr. Eric Schelter (UPenn) will give his seminar on "Engaging 4f-orbitals in the Chemistry of the Rare Earths for Fun and Profit" on October 9 at 11:30 AM in 2104 CHEM as the Abraham Clearfield Student Invited Speaker in Inorganic Chemistry. Join Us!
Abstract: The role of the partially filled 4f shell in metal complexes of the rare earths is typically considered to be non-bonding. Further, the degenerate set of 4f electrons confers unique, atomistic electronic- and magnetic-properties to complexes of the elements. In recent years, my research group has been working to expand the capabilities of lanthanide elements through fundamental studies of such complexes and their electronic structures. We have demonstrated that studies of cerium complexes, in terms of electronic structure, properties, and reactivity, are fruitful for discovery of both fundamental aspects of f- element chemistry and new reactivity modalities based on 4f-orbital participation. Recent results will be presented on our studies of organometallic complexes of cerium(IV) and related tetravalent metals showing unique participation of 4f-orbitals in bonding and reactivity, detected by monitoring an unusual single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation. We have posited that 4f-orbital engagement can also alter reactivity of lanthanide complexes with properly designed ligand frameworks and reaction manifolds through excited states. Our efforts toward these goals, for the purposes of selective, inter-rare earth reactive separations, will also be discussed. Bio: Professor Eric Schelter is currently the Hirschmann- Makineni Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his B.S. in 1999 from Michigan Technological University and his Ph.D. in 2004 from Texas A&M University with Professor Kim Dunbar. He then spent time as Glenn T. Seaborg Postdoctoral Fellow, the Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow, and Frederick Reines Postdoctoral Fellow in Experimental Sciences at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He Joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. Current projects in Professor Schelter’s research group are focused on the chemistries and electronic structure effects of the lanthanides, uranium and main group elements.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 13h
The Texas A&M Chemistry Department is excited to announce our Virtual Open House for prospective graduate students happening on October 16, 2025.
Register for the event using the the link below. Registrants will receive information about the event by email.
Https://form.jotform.com/252464559095063
Virtual Open House Flyer with collage of pictures from the Chemistry Department at TAMU, showing students in the laboratory, classroom, and on campus. Join Us Live! Q&A Session for Prospective PhD Students October 16 7-9 PM Central Learn about The Chemistry PhD program The Application Process Degree Timeline & Milestones Graduate Student Life Living in College Station, TX Deadline for Registration October 14, 2025
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 13h
The Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M and the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study is proud to offer the Chancellor’s National Academy STEM Ph.D. Fellowship Program for outstanding students working in STEM fields.
To learn more or to apply by January 19, visit hias.tamu.edu/stem-fellowship.
Flyer for Chancellor’s National Academy STEM Ph.D. Fellowship Benefits: • A stipend of $40,000 annually plus tuition and fees for up to four years of graduate study and research. • An opportunity to engage with a Texas A&M University faculty member who is an elected member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine or a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. • This combination of resources and stellar mentorship makes this a career-defining opportunity. Requirements: • A bachelor’s degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) field no later than August 2026. • A cumulative undergraduate grade point average in a STEM bachelor’s program of study greater than or equal to 3.9 on a 4.0 scale. • Admission to a STEM doctoral program at Texas A&M University to begin in the fall of 2026. • U.S. resident, U.S. permanent resident or eligible noncitizen. Includes aerial picture of Texas A&M campus, along with logs for the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study and the Texas A&M University System
tamuchemistry.bsky.social
Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 1d
Dr. Cody Ross Pitts (UC Davis) will present an Organic Division seminar titled: “Strain-Release Pentafluorosulfanylation: Strange Molecules Doing Stranger Things” on Thursday, October 16 at 11:30 AM in 2104 CHEM. Join us!
Seminar Flyer with ATM log Abstract Text: This presentation details recent progress in our laboratory toward the synthesis and evaluation of historically underemployed fluorinated functional groups that have been made more accessible using the TCICA/KF approach to oxidative fluorination. A major theme will be our recent merging of SF5 radical chemistry with strain-release functionalization of [1.1.1]propellane, [1.1.0]bicyclobutanes, and [1.1.0]azabicyclobutanes. Structural consequences of making these SF5-based "hybrid bioisosteres" and preliminary mechanistic insight will be discussed. Aside from being a topic of fundamental interest, we believe this work affords an unusual and subtle type of flexibility in molecular design that could prove useful in increasing availability of building blocks containing C(sp3)–SF5 and heteroatom–SF5 bonds to medicinal chemists, agrochemists, and in the materials community. Biography accompanied by a picture of Prof. Pitts in front of some greenery Cody Ross Pitts earned his B.S. in Chemistry with minors in Physics and Musical Theatre from Monmouth University in 2010. He completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2017 at Johns Hopkins University under Prof. Thomas Lectka, focusing on synthetic and physical organic chemistry, including radical fluorination chemistry and the first spectroscopic observation of a stable fluoronium ion in solution. He pursued postdoctoral research on inorganic fluorine chemistry with Prof. Antonio Togni at ETH Zürich (2017–2019) and in total synthesis with Prof. Phil S. Baran at The Scripps Research Institute (2019–2021). In 2021, he joined UC Davis, establishing a research program in reagent design, method development, mechanistic studies, and organic synthesis.
Reposted by Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University
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Soon Mi Lim @soonmilim.bsky.social · 7d
Join us on Saturday, October 18, for emerging science experiences! @tamu.bsky.social @tamuartsci.bsky.social
tamuchemistry.bsky.social
Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 7d
The Chemistry Open House will be on Saturday, October 18, 2025! Check out the dazzling chemistry demos and exciting activities from 10AM - 3PM at the ILSQ building
@tamu.bsky.social The event is FREE. Mark your calendar and join us! @tamuartsci.bsky.social
Chemistry Open House poster with the theme The Hidden Life of Spices. Pictures of spices are shown, along with two pictures from previous Open Houses showing a demonstration involving fire and children engaged in hands-on activities.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 2d
Happening today!
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 12d
Prof. Jaclyn Winter (Utah) will be visiting Texas A&M for a Student-Invited Speaker seminar on Monday, October 6 at 11:30 AM in 2104 CHEM. The talk is entitled Surviving the Elements: Harnessing Great Salt Lake Microorganisms for Natural Product Discovery. Join us!
Seminar flyer with ATM logo. Abstract text: Natural products are specialized small molecules that display remarkable chemical diversity, drive key biological processes, and form the basis of many important medicines. Research in the Winter lab explores how bacteria and fungi produce these molecules, with goals of isolating bioactive compounds, uncovering their biosynthetic pathways, and understanding their ecological roles. Microorganisms from extreme environments are particularly promising for drug discovery, as they often encode novel chemistry. Our current work focuses on the completely underexplored hypersaline microbes of Utah’s Great Salt Lake, an environment with salinities five to ten times that of seawater and elevated levels of toxic heavy metals. I will highlight our genomic and chemical approaches to identify biologically active compounds, as well as emerging insights into microbial adaptations, biosynthetic novelty, and environmental applications. Side bar has a biography and a picture of Dr. Winter. Biography text: Dr. Winter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and the Co- Director of the triple “I” (Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease) Initiative at the University of Utah. She obtained her Ph.D. in Marine Natural Product Biosynthesis from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and carried out postdoctoral training at the HKI in Germany and at UCLA. In 2015, she started her independent career in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Utah and runs an interdisciplinary research program focused on natural product biosynthesis and the bioengineering of natural product pathways, with a particular emphasis on using microorganisms isolated from extreme environments as resources for natural product discovery and development.
tamuchemistry.bsky.social
Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 7d
The Chemistry Open House will be on Saturday, October 18, 2025! Check out the dazzling chemistry demos and exciting activities from 10AM - 3PM at the ILSQ building
@tamu.bsky.social The event is FREE. Mark your calendar and join us! @tamuartsci.bsky.social
Chemistry Open House poster with the theme The Hidden Life of Spices. Pictures of spices are shown, along with two pictures from previous Open Houses showing a demonstration involving fire and children engaged in hands-on activities.
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tamuchemistry.bsky.social
Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 8d
Prof. Chi Ting (www.cptinglab.org/chi-ting, Brandeis University) will present a seminar "Chemical and
Biocatalytic Synthesis of Amino-Acid Derived Natural Products" on October 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM in 2104 CHEM. Join us!
seminar flyer with TM Logo and a picture of Prof. Ting with in a laboratory. Abstract text: Amino acid-derived natural products are ubiquitous in nature and commonly possess therapeutic properties. In this presentation, the chemical and biocatalytic syntheses of amino acid-derived natural products will be discussed. First, a chemoenzymatic synthesis of 13-oxoverruculogen, an anticancer endoperoxide, is achieved using enzymatic C-H peroxidation and transition metal catalyzed C-C bond activation reactions. Central to the synthesis involves the use of a substrate analog for enzymatic endoperoxidation to accomplish the synthesis of 13-oxoverruculogen. The second part of this presentation describes the chemical synthesis of ribosomally-synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). Enteropeptin A is an antimicrobial RiPP natural product with undefined stereochemical configuration at its thioaminoketal stereocenter. The total synthesis of this compound and its congeners resulted in their structural elucidation and the determination of the stereochemical configuration of the enteropeptins. Biography text: Chi Ting earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012, where he conducted undergraduate research under Professor Steven Zimmerman. He completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2017, working with Professor Tom Maimone on the total synthesis of complex natural products. Following his doctoral studies, he returned to the University of Illinois for postdoctoral research in biochemistry with Professor Wilfred van der Donk, focusing on the biosynthesis of amino acid-derived natural products. In 2020, Chi joined Brandeis University as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 12d
Dr. Martin Zanni (Wisconsin-Madison) will be presenting seminars in the Frontiers in Chemical Research Lecture Series starting Monday, Sept. 29 through Wednesday, Oct. 1 with a focus on Ultrafast 2D Spectroscopy. All lectures will be at 11:30 AM in 2104 CHEM.
Frontiers in Chemical Research Flyer with ATM logo; picture and biography of the speaker; and seminar schedule Seminar schedule Monday, September 29, 2025 “Fundamentals of Ultrafast 2D Spectroscopy and Examples of How it Might be Used in Your Research” Tuesday, September 30, 2025 “Are Exciton Dynamics in Thin Films the Same as Those in Devices? New Insights in Next Generation Photovoltaics Using Photocurrent Detected 2D White-Light Spectroscopy” Wednesday, October 1, 2025 “Cats but Not Rats? Humans but Not Hamsters? An Oligomer Structure that May Explain Type 2 Diabetes” Speaker biography: Martin T. Zanni is the F. Fleming Crim Professor and Meloche-Bascom Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his PhD from the University of California-Berkeley, working with Dan Neumark, and was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania with Robin Hochstrasser. He is one of the early pioneers of 2D IR spectroscopy and has made technological innovations that have broadened the capabilities and scope of multidimensional spectroscopies and microscopies. He utilizes these new techniques to study topics in biophysics, chemical physics, photovoltaics, and surfaces. He has received many national and international accolades for his research. Notably, he is the only person to have received the ACS Nobel Laureate Signature Award as both a student and a mentor and the first to receive the Craver, Coblentz, and Lippincott Awards. He founded PhaseTech Spectroscopy Inc., which is the first company to commercialize 2D IR and 2D Electronic spectroscopies. He was elected into the National Academy of Sciences in 2025.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 12d
Prof. Jaclyn Winter (Utah) will be visiting Texas A&M for a Student-Invited Speaker seminar on Monday, October 6 at 11:30 AM in 2104 CHEM. The talk is entitled Surviving the Elements: Harnessing Great Salt Lake Microorganisms for Natural Product Discovery. Join us!
Seminar flyer with ATM logo. Abstract text: Natural products are specialized small molecules that display remarkable chemical diversity, drive key biological processes, and form the basis of many important medicines. Research in the Winter lab explores how bacteria and fungi produce these molecules, with goals of isolating bioactive compounds, uncovering their biosynthetic pathways, and understanding their ecological roles. Microorganisms from extreme environments are particularly promising for drug discovery, as they often encode novel chemistry. Our current work focuses on the completely underexplored hypersaline microbes of Utah’s Great Salt Lake, an environment with salinities five to ten times that of seawater and elevated levels of toxic heavy metals. I will highlight our genomic and chemical approaches to identify biologically active compounds, as well as emerging insights into microbial adaptations, biosynthetic novelty, and environmental applications. Side bar has a biography and a picture of Dr. Winter. Biography text: Dr. Winter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and the Co- Director of the triple “I” (Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease) Initiative at the University of Utah. She obtained her Ph.D. in Marine Natural Product Biosynthesis from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and carried out postdoctoral training at the HKI in Germany and at UCLA. In 2015, she started her independent career in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Utah and runs an interdisciplinary research program focused on natural product biosynthesis and the bioengineering of natural product pathways, with a particular emphasis on using microorganisms isolated from extreme environments as resources for natural product discovery and development.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 12d
Dr. Joseph Subotnik (Princeton) will present a physical division seminar on Tuesday, October 14th at 11:30 AM in 2014 CHEM entitled Phase Space Approaches to Electronic Structure: A New Paradigm For Magnetic Field Effects, Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity and Vibrational Circular Dichroism. Join us!
Seminar flyer with abstract text: The Born-Oppenheimer (BO) approximation is the cornerstone of chemistry, defining electronic structure relative to fixed nuclear coordinates. It relies on the large mass difference between electrons and nuclei, with nuclei moving much slower and appearing effectively frozen on the time scale of electronic fluctuations. Nevertheless, the BO approximation frequently breaks down, quite famously in photochemistry and/or electron transfer. Less well known is that even when a classical BO theory does not conserve momentum (linear or angular) even when no obvious breakdown occurs. In this talk, I will discuss this failure, introduce phase space approximations as a means to restore conservation, and propose a new paradigm for understanding how nuclear entanglement with electronic degrees of freedom may lead to chiral induced spin selectivity and other magnetic field effects. Biography text: Dr. Subotnik is a Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University. He earned a BA in physics from Harvard (2000) and a PhD in biophysics from Berkeley (2007), followed by a NSF postdoctoral fellowship in Israel (2007- 2010). His research focuses on developing tools to describe energy conversion—how electrons, photons and nuclei exchange energy and angular momentum— merging chemical physics with computational methods. He has made key contributions to semiclassical surface hopping, the computation of electron-phonon couplings, the theory of electronic friction at metal surfaces, and the theory of vibrational circular dichroism.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 19d
Dr. Robbyn Anand of Iowa State University will present her seminar entitled, "Parallel Selective Capture of Single Circulating Melanoma Cells and Functional Analysis", at 11:30 in CHEM 2104, next Tuesday, September 23. Join us!
Seminar flyer with ATM logo and abstract text: Gauging cell-to-cell variation is critical for addressing unmet health needs. Select cells with distinct phenotypes can drive both normal physiology and disease. Current single-cell platforms are constrained by the limited number and type of endpoints they can measure. Further, clinical samples contain mixed cell populations and isolation methods can compromise cell viability and function. This restricts the ability to assess processes such as signaling, drug response, or cell-cell interactions. We have developed a platform for integrated selection, fluidic isolation, optional lysis, and parallel single-cell assays that preserve viability and phenotype. The platform demonstrates three key advancements: (1) a single- cell protease secretion assay quantifying MMP9 linked to invasiveness; (2) use of BPEs as electrochemical sensors and as substrates for in situ electropolymerization; and (3) an insulator DEP (iDEP) configuration that prevents cell-electrode contact, enhancing viability. Finally, we show discrimination of melanoma cells resistant to chemotherapeutic agents.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 19d
Dr. Junhyeok Seo of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology will present his seminar, "Spin, Protons, and Pathways: Controlling Electron Transfer in Electrocatalysis of Coordination Complexes" on Wednesday, September 24 at 11:30 AM in 2104 CHEM. Join us!
Seminar flyer showing ATM logo with abstract text: Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) is a central principle for catalytic hydrogen and CO2 transformations. In this seminar, I will discuss how internal factors of metal–ligand identity, coordination geometry, and spin states interact with external influences such as pKa of proton donors and applied potentials to shape PCET pathways. Our studies with Co complexes show that spin interactions critically govern electron transfer, while investigations of Fe complexes reveal how maintaining the low spin states enables rapid, efficient multi-electron processes. Beyond the electronic framework, a proton itself can serve as an indispensable promoter of electron transfer. In W complexes, hydrogen bonding facilitates electron transfer, ultimately generating highly basic species capable of activating and reducing CO2. Together, these insights highlight how managing spin interactions, orbital reorganization, and proton coupling provides in-depth understanding of reaction mechanisms and design strategies for new catalytic systems.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 19d
The Chemistry Open House is less than a month away on Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 10am - 3pm at the ILSQ building

While you wait for the 2025 Chemistry Open House, enjoy the video from the 2024 event!
youtu.be/LpVCbJCS8B4?....
Chemistry Open House | 2024
YouTube video by Texas A&M Arts & Sciences
youtu.be
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 21d
Dr. Anna Gudmundsdottir (University of Cincinnati) will discuss her research, "Photodynamic Organic Azido Crystals: Photofracking and Photopatterning " today at 11:30 in CHEM 2104. Join us!
Picture of Dr. Gudmundsdottir with the abstract text: Organic crystals can respond dynamically to external stimuli such as light or heat, exhibiting bending, curling, hopping, and fracturing. These photodynamic crystals convert light into mechanical energy, offering potential applications in actuation, energy harvesting, flexible electronics, switchable reflectors, and sensing. Irradiation of crystalline azido compounds induces N₂ release, which drives such photomechanical responses. We show that photodynamic crystal fracture can enhance the efficiency of solid-state photoreactions by continually exposing fresh reactive surfaces. Although solid-state photochemistry is valued for its spatial and temporal control, it is often restricted by surface- confined reactivity, where passivating photoproduct layers limit bulk conversion. This limitation can be overcome through photofracking—photoinduced crystal disintegration— where cracking and fracturing expose new surfaces and extend the photoreaction toward higher conversion. In contrast, azido crystals engineered to pack into two-dimensional lattices exhibit restricted surface reactivity, making them promising for photolithographic applications. Confocal Raman microscopy, along with digital, SEM, and AFM imaging, confirmed that these crystals react only at the surface, and the resulting photoproducts can be harnessed for crystal patterning. Laser flash photolysis, ESR spectroscopy, and matrix isolation studies were used to elucidate the underlying photochemical mechanism of the azido compounds in both solution and the solid state. Overall, the factors governing whether azido crystals exhibit photodynamic behavior are discussed, linking fundamental photochemistry with emerging applications in materials science.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 26d
The 2025 Chemistry Open House will be on Saturday, October 18, 2025, between 10am - 3pm at ILSQ @TAMU. Exciting science demos, fun hands-on activities, and the famous Chemistry Road Show, all for FREE! @TAMUArtSci @TAMUChemistry. Mark your calendar now and join us! artsci.tamu.edu/chemistry/ou...
Collage of pictures from the Chemistry Open House, including Dr. Pennington with his fire tornado, children engaging in hands-on activities, and the chemistry mole mascot posing with volunteers.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 29d
Prof. Dr. Daniel Werz of the University of Freiburg will present a seminar on Tuesday, September 9, titled “Gain by Strain: Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes to Access Carbo- and Heterocyclic Compounds” at 11:30 AM in CHEM 2104.
abstract text: Donor-acceptor cyclopropanes (DACs) are highly strained entities which are unique building blocks for hetero- and carbocyclic systems. We have been developing novel methodologies starting from these type of three-membered rings leading to oligopyrroles, chalcogen-containing heterocycles, and 1,3- bisfunctionalized products, to name a few. To get deeper insights into their intrinsic reactivity in-depth physical organic studies were performed recently. Besides the common activation of DACs by Lewis acids leading to a wide variety of ring-opening and cycloaddition products even synergistic catalytic approaches can be applied to generate fleeting intermediates which react with the strained systems. Two examples include one using Lewis acid and Rh catalysis (affording intermediate carbonyl ylides) and another using Lewis acid and redox catalysis. More recently, electrochemical methods were applied to activate donoracceptor cyclopropanes.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · Aug 11
Please join us on Wednesday August 13, 2025 at 4 PM in 255 CHEM for the Inorganic Seminar of Dr. Seung Jun Hwang of MIT as he discusses his research "Rational Design of Molecular Catalysts: Beyond Traditional Approaches with Internal Electric Fields, Biomimetics, and Main-Group Elements”.
Seminar flyer with picture of Dr. Hwang and abstract. Abstract text: The development of alternative energy sources beyond fossil fuels hinges on our ability to activate small molecules (H2, O2, CH4, CO2) through challenging multi- electron, multi-proton transformations. These processes face formidable kinetic barriers, requiring innovative catalytic strategies capable of managing complex electron transfer events. Inspired by metalloenzymes containing polynuclear transition metal assemblies, our group synthesized a range of dicopper complexes mimicking the active site of zeolite to systematically investigate the impact of secondary elements on the reactivity and stability of critical intermediates formed during multi-electron oxidation reactions. This seminar will also discuss a novel approach for developing catalysts with controlled internal electric fields to enhance selectivity in small molecule fixations and reactivity of catalysts. Our work with distorted phosphorus complexes revealed that phosphorus-ligand redox cooperativity can effectively manage four-electron redox processes, with simultaneous two-electron transfers occurring at both the phosphorus center and the redox- active ligand scaffold. This strategy has enabled the activation of O2 and various NOx species under remarkably mild conditions, demonstrating that transition metals are not always necessary for complex multi- electron transformations.
Reposted by Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University
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Soon Mi Lim @soonmilim.bsky.social · Aug 7
It was an educator's dream come true to teach such talented students. I hope many of them choose a career in chemistry or related areas. Tremendous thanks to everyone who supported the program! @tamuchemistry.bsky.social @tamuartsci.bsky.social
tamuchemistry.bsky.social
Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · Aug 7
High schoolers got hands-on with real chemistry research at Texas A&M Chemistry's new REACT summer program, led by Dr. Soon Mi Lim. From UV/VIS to NMR, students explored advanced tools rarely seen before college. Applications for 2026 open Jan. 5!

Read more: tx.ag/CHEMREACT25
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tamuchemistry.bsky.social
Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · Aug 7
High schoolers got hands-on with real chemistry research at Texas A&M Chemistry's new REACT summer program, led by Dr. Soon Mi Lim. From UV/VIS to NMR, students explored advanced tools rarely seen before college. Applications for 2026 open Jan. 5!

Read more: tx.ag/CHEMREACT25
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · Jul 31
🔬 Dr. Xin Yan’s lab at Texas A&M Chemistry is pushing mass spectrometry to new limits—developing tools that speed up disease detection, advance drug research, and prepare the next generation of scientists.

🔗 Learn more: artsci.tamu.edu/news/2025/07...
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · Jul 22
Dr. François Gabbaï and his team at Texas A&M Chemistry captured two rare stages of bond formation—an uncommon feat in physical organic chemistry. Their findings, published in Science Magazine, could help shape future catalyst design.

🔬 artsci.tamu.edu/research/upd...
3D illustration of a complex molecular structure with interconnected atoms in shades of blue and gray, highlighted against a blurred blue background.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · Jul 16
Dr. Karen Wooley, Distinguished Professor in Texas A&M Chemistry, was featured in Chemical & Engineering News for her recent talk and research on developing sugar-based alternatives to petrochemical plastics.

Read more: cen.acs.org/acs-news/mee...
Portrait of a Texas A&M University Chemistry faculty member, Dr. Karen Wooley, smiling, with the university logo and 'Chemistry' text displayed next to them.
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · Jul 15
⚛️ Texas A&M Chemistry leads a statewide team selected as 1 of just 29 semifinalists in NSF’s $160M Innovation Engines competition — positioning Texas A&M University at the forefront of transforming chemical waste into economic opportunity.

Read more: tx.ag/TAMUChemNSFSemis
A person in a lab coat labeled "Texas A&M Chemistry" is pipetting a sample in a lab with numerous test tubes and vials in the foreground.