Chemistry
Professor of Chemistry Ben Wiley was honored with the Cleantech Research Innovation Award at the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC)’s annual awards ceremony.The Cleantech Research Innovation Award recognizes an individual or team from industry or within an institution of higher education that is pursuing a research-based solution to a pressing cleantech challenge. Wiley’s work is focused on the reduction of industrial carbon emissions through the production of green hydrogen. Carbon emissions from the… read more about Ben Wiley Receives Clean Energy Research Innovation Award »
Congratulations to Nathan Wong! Nathan, a member of the Beratan Lab, has been awarded a Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) award! Nathan's project, “Atomistic Modelling of an Electron Bifurcation Protein to Understand Electrostatic Tunability”, will be conducted at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) with Dr. Simone Raugei. Nathan is one of just 62 students nationwide to receive this prestigious award, designed to provide world-class training and access to state-of-… read more about Nathan Wong Receives DOE Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Award! »
Four faculty in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences were recently recognized by the Arts & Sciences Council for outstanding achievements in undergraduate teaching.Each year, the Council’s Committee on Undergraduate Teaching selects outstanding faculty members for their commitment to their students, for engaging them deeply in research and scholarship, for their continued development as innovative teachers and mentors, and more.Members of the council — in collaboration with the dean's office — … read more about Four Trinity Faculty Receive 2024 Undergraduate Teaching Awards »
Prof. Michael Rubinstein, the Aleksandar S. Vesic Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering, has received the 2025 ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry! Michael’s career has shed multiple insights into the molecular basis for the physical behavior of polymers through theoretical modeling of polymeric liquids and networks, including association and entanglement effects. His work spans a wide range of topics and is frequently carried out in collaboration with a diverse set of experimentalists… read more about Michael Rubinstein Receives National ACS Award in Polymers! »
The Department invites applications and nominations for two tenure-track positions at the assistant professor level to begin July 1, 2025. In both positions we are seeking colleagues with strong commitments to research, teaching, and advancing a diverse and inclusive community of scholars. In one position we are interested in candidates with research interests focused in chemical biology. Candidates in any other subarea of chemistry will be considered for the second position. Applications should include a cover letter,… read more about Join Us at Duke! We're Hiring! »
Professors David Beratan, Warren Warren and Weitao Yang received National ACS Awards at the Fall meeting in Denver. David received the Irving Langmuir Award for his contributions to the field of Chemical Physics. Warren received the E. Bright Wilson Award in Spectroscopy for contributions in the field of fundamental or applied spectroscopy in chemistry. Weitao, the 2024 ACS Theory Awardee, is recognized for the tremendous impact on electronic structure calculations including both the development of… read more about Duke PChem Sweeps ACS National Awards! »
Professor Kathryn Haas has received the David and Janet Vaughan Brooks Teaching Award from the Arts and Sciences Council in recognition of her dedication to instruction in and outside of the classroom and lab! The award highlights Kat's equitable and inclusive teaching, her ability to spark excitement about learning, her encouragement of a deep dive into disciplinary ways of thinking, her efforts to make connections beyond the courses she teaches, and for her teaching innovations. Thank you, Kathryn, for… read more about Prof. Kathryn Haas Receives the Vaughan Brooks Teaching Award »
The Becker Lab is expanding the material properties of 3D-printed poly (propylene fumarate-co-propylene succinate) copolyesters and their use in drug delivery applications. In their recent work, "Controlled Transdermal Delivery of Dexamethasone for Pain Management via Photochemically 3D-Printed Bioresorbable Microneedle Arrays", Becker lab members are fabricating poly(propylene fumarate-co-propylene succinate) oligomers into DXM-loaded, bioresorbable MAPs via continuous… read more about Becker Lab Expanding the Material Properties of 3D-printed Polyesters for Use in Drug Delivery Applications »
The Warren Lab's recent use of pump-probe microscopy for effective art restoration was featured in Laser Focus World. The lab built upon their mode-locked laser systems from the early 2000's, using pump-probe microscopy—a nonlinear optical imaging technique used to study chemical reactions. The lab uses ultrafast laser pulses of near-infrared (IR) light to allow for the identification of chemical compounds present in a paint pigment sample without invasive means. The team is now working… read more about Warren Lab's Use of Pump-probe Microscopy for Art Restoration Featured in Laser Focus World »
The Malcolmson lab has discovered a reductive coupling of azatrienes and ketones for the Z-selective synthesis of allylic 1,2-amino tertiary alcohols. The strategy, developed by a team that was spearheaded by graduate student Jiaqi Zhu, provides an aminoallylation approach to this valuable pharmacophore that greatly expands upon the chemical space that is accessible for this moiety. The reaction is a rare example of a catalytic carbonyl allylation that forms a Z-alkene and two stereogenic centers and is… read more about Malcolmson Lab Discovers Catalytic Z-Selective Ketone Aminoallylations to Prepare Vicinal Amino Tertiary Alcohols »
Now in its second year, the Duke Climate and Sustainability Teaching Fellows (CAST) held a weeklong workshop for 11 Duke and DKU faculty this spring to explore the connections between climate change and sustainable solutions, using a ‘systems thinking’ framework of examining multifaceted challenges. The CAST Fellows Program is dedicated to increasing the prevalence and quality of climate and sustainability concepts in academic courses across all departments at Duke. It supports instructors who are interested… read more about Incorporating Climate & Sustainability into Classes Across Duke »
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Duke University and MIT have developed an easy-to-use intuitive tool that could help in the design of new mechanophores, which have a range of practical applications in materials science and organic synthesis due to their ability to change physically or chemically in response to force. A mechanophore discovered a few years ago by Illinois chemists can release controlled amounts of carbon monoxide when triggered by mechanical force, which can potentially be used in… read more about New Tool Could Facilitate Discovery of New Mechanically Responsive Materials »
The Center for Molecularly Optimized Networks (MONET) has won the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Horizon Prize. MONET is a National Sciences Foundation (NSF) Center that fosters collaboration between researchers nationwide. Under the direction of Stephen Craig, William T. Miller Professor of Chemistry, MONET’s goals are to better understand and improve upon the molecular properties of polymers. Michael Rubinstein, Aleksandar S. Vesic Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Physics, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Sciences… read more about MONET Center Wins Prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry Prize »
Cate Knothe openly admits she applied to Duke on a whim. As a high school senior who was focused on Northeast schools, she felt a need to broaden her horizons a bit — a common theme repeated throughout her four years at Duke. It was a conversation with an alumna that sealed the deal for Knothe, who will graduate in May with double majors in German and Cinematic Arts and a minor in Chemistry. “I talked to a doctor who had also done a degree in Art History and studied abroad with Duke in Oxford,” Knothe explains. “Her… read more about Limitless Lens: Future Filmmaker Reaped the Benefits at Duke »
Five Duke faculty have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. The NAS elected a total of 120 new members and 24 new international members. The new NAS members from Duke are: John Aldrich, PhD, Pfizer Inc./Edmund T. Pratt Jr. University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Political Science. His scholarship focuses on American politics and elections. David Beratan… read more about Four Trinity Faculty Elected to National Academy of Sciences »
As a pre-health student majoring in Religious Studies with minors in Biology and Chemistry, Christina Lewis (T, ‘24) wanted her honors project to tie together her academic interests and explore ways in which she, a future clinician, might best serve her patients. Lewis’ thesis focuses on alternative healing practices and how they are applied in Western medical settings. She’s investigating why certain practices with religious or spiritual elements are embraced by integrative medical clinics affiliated with reputable… read more about Combining the Holistic and Academic: A Student’s Look at Alternative Medicine in Traditional Settings »
Chemistry major Ayush Jain has been named a 2024 scholar by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. Ayush is among 508 students awarded Goldwater Scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year. The one- and two-year scholarships go toward covering the cost of tuition, fees, books, room and board. The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,353 nominated mathematics, science and engineering students nationwide. Virtually all scholars… read more about Chem Major Ayush Jain Named 2024 Goldwater Scholar »
The Moreno-Hernandez Lab has their first Duke publication! In a recent JACS article, the Lab published findings that highlight the importance of nanoscale heterogeneity in determining macroscale properties such as electrocatalyst stability. Their efforts provide a characterization methodology that can be integrated into next-generation electrocatalyst discovery efforts. Check out their work, "Dissolution Heterogeneity Observed in Anisotropic Ruthenium Dioxide Nanocrystals via Liquid-… read more about Moreno-Hernandez Lab Finds the Importance of Nanoscale Heterogeneity »
The Haas Lab, with undergraduate researcher Abigail Strausbaugh Hjelmstad, facilitate a comparison of Cu(I) binding to six N-truncated amyloid beta (Aβ) model peptides and contribute to the understanding of the role of Aβ peptides as copper chelators in healthy and diseased brains in their recent publication, "Investigating Cu(I) binding to model peptides of N-terminal Aβ isoforms", available in the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. Learn more about their findings here! read more about Haas Lab Investigating Cu(I) binding to model peptides »
Four Duke University undergraduates have received the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, a federally endowed award that supports students in pursuing careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. Ayush Jain, Juliet Jiang, Michelle Si and Marie-Hélène Tomé are among the 508 students nationwide awarded Goldwater Scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year. The Goldwater Scholars were chosen based on academic merit from a pool of 1,353 natural science… read more about Four Undergraduates Receive National Goldwater Scholarships »
Metallic carbon nanotubes are one-dimensional tubular structures made up of hexagonally bonded sp2 carbon atoms. The Therien Lab has shown that by wrapping a metallic nanotube surface with rigid polymers, a semiconductor can be realized. This strategy contrasts with approaches that regulate electronic structural properties of bulk-phase materials which rely on altering the nature of covalent bonding. Reversible non-covalent polymer wrapping of metallic carbon nanotubes interconverts metallic and… read more about Therien Lab Realizes Low Band Gap One-dimensional Materials by Design »
DURHAM, N.C. -- It might look like a roll of chicken wire, but this tiny cylinder of carbon atoms -- too small to see with the naked eye -- could one day be used for making electronic devices ranging from night vision goggles and motion detectors to more efficient solar cells, thanks to techniques developed by researchers at Duke University. First discovered in the early 1990s, carbon nanotubes are made from single sheets of carbon atoms rolled up like a straw. Carbon isn’t exactly a newfangled material. All life on… read more about Tiny Tunable Nanotubes »