The 1,023rd Meeting of the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society
Monthly NESACS Meeting
Thursday, October 12th, 2023
Curry Student Center Mezzanine
360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA
Featuring: Katherine E. Shulenberger, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Brandeis University.
Title: Developing sustainable sources for energy.
Evening Program
4:30 pm EST – NESACS Board Meeting (EXP Building, Room 370, 815 Columbus Ave)
5:30 pm EST – Social Hour
6:30 pm EST – Dinner
7:30pm EST
- Sonja Strah-Pleynet, NESACS Chair, Presiding
- Featured Speaker: Katherine E. Shulenberger, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Brandeis University
Abstract: Developing sustainable sources for energy is a significant challenge which we face as a scientific community. This challenge is two-fold: both the capture of renewable energy sources and the storage of said energy. One promising avenue for renewable energy is photochemical reactions where solar energy is absorbed and converted into stored energy in chemical bonds. This approach has a number of advantages, most notably the high energy density and long-term stability of chemical fuels. Semiconductor nanocrystals have long been investigated as potential energy antennas, or materials which can absorb solar energy, in these schemes. However, photochemical reactions, whether they be mediated by the nanocrystal surface or metal, molecular, or enzymatic catalysts are often limited in their efficiency due to exciton recombination within the nanocrystal itself. In this talk I present a mechanism for photocharging CdS nanocrystals which does not rely on an external reductant. Instead, the organic ligands which bind to the NC surface and impart colloidal stability act as hole acceptors which result in charged states which persist for minutes to hours. Size, ligand, and composition dependent trends in the efficiency of this charging mechanism are examined to confirm the proposed charging mechanism. The generation of long-lived, photoexcited electrons shows promise for developing photochemical systems with 100% quantum efficiency due to the elimination of competition with exciton recombination.
Bio: Katherine E. Shulenberger began her chemistry journey at Wellesley College where she received her B.A. in chemistry in 2014. During her time at Wellesley she conducted astrochemistry research in the Arumainayagam lab. She then enrolled in the doctoral program in chemistry at MIT. Working in both the Bawendi and Tisdale research groups, her interests centered on understanding highly excited states in semiconductor nanocrystals. After receiving her PhD in 2019, she moved on to pursue further studies in the Dukovic group at CU Boulder as a postdoctoral scholar. During her time at CU, Dr. Shulenberger received a Cottrell postdoctoral fellowship and was named the CU Outstanding Postdoc of the year. Dr. Shulenberger joined the faculty at Brandeis University in the summer of 2023 as an assistant professor of chemistry. Her research group will continue to push the boundaries of how we understand nanocrystal systems through the use of both novel photon-counting measurements and ultrafast optical characterization to bridge the gap between existing ensemble and single-particle techniques. For more information: https://www.brandeis.edu/chemistry/faculty/shulenberger-katherine.html
Information for registration is available at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/october-2023-nesacs-monthly-meeting-tickets-721199104937
PUBLIC IS INVITED
YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE TO ATTEND THE MEETING
THERE IS NO REGISTRATION FEE TO ATTEND THE MEETING
DINNER RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED
PUBLIC IS INVITED
For those who would like to join us for dinner, register by noon, Tuesday, October 10th, at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/october-2023-nesacs-monthly-meeting-tickets-721199104937 Cost: Members, $30; Non-members, $35; Retirees, $20; Students, $10. If you wish to join us for this meeting and not eat dinner, select “Seminar only”.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Northeastern University is centrally located among the following stops of the MBTA subway system: the Green Line E “Northeastern” stop, and the Orange Line “Ruggles” stop.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
Click here for driving directions from the airport, or via multiple highways that will bring you to the center of campus.
PARKING ON CAMPUS
General parking at the Renaissance Parking Garage Visitor parking is available at the Renaissance Parking Garage, 835 Columbus Avenue, Boston. There is a fee to park in this facility.
There is also paid on street parking on Parker St.
If you have any questions or require additional information, contact the Secretary via email at secretary@nesacs.org
NESACS appreciates your support for this event.
