Physical Chemistry Seminar: Professor Randall Goldsmith, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Physical Chemistry Seminar: Professor Randall Goldsmith, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Date
Tue May 9th 2017, 4:30 - 5:30pm
Event Sponsor
Chemistry Department
Location
Sapp Center Lecture Hall

Physical Chemistry Seminar: Professor Randall Goldsmith, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Sapp Center Lecture Hall, 4:30pm (Host: W. E. Moerner)

About the Seminar:

"Single-Molecule Spectroscopy with Catalysts, Conductive Polymers, and Optical Microresonators"

Measurements on individual molecules have revolutionized how chemists can perceive molecular properties and dynamics, yet single-molecule techniques can only be applied with considerable experimental constraints.  The Goldsmith group develops new tools through chemical synthesis, micro and nanophotonics, and microfluidics that allow single-molecule techniques to be applied in previously inaccessible scenarios and enable new measurements.  I will discuss recent measurements on the initiation of individual organometallic catalysts, observation of single-molecule binding dynamics at millimolar concentrations, detecting the heat dissipated from molecules using optical microresonators, hybrid photonic-plasmonic systems, and spectroscopy on individual conductive polymer molecules.      

 

About the Speaker:

Randall Goldsmith completed undergraduate degrees in chemistry and biology (2002) at Cornell University.  He received his Ph.D at Northwestern University (2008) studying photoinduced electron transfer under the direction of Professors Michael Wasielewski and Mark Ratner, and performed postdoctoral work at Stanford University with Professor W.E. Moerner, where he became profoundly convinced that molecules deserve to be looked at one at a time. He has been a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin Madison since 2011 where his research interests span single-molecule spectroscopy, micro and nanophotonics, chemical catalysis, photochemistry, and biophysics.  His work has been recognized with a DARPA young faculty award, NSF CAREER award, Alzheimer’s Association Young Faculty Award, and Journal of Physical Chemistry Lectureship Award.