FUNCTIONAL MESOSTRUCTURED MATERIALS FOR CONTROLLED RELEASE

-Sol-gel synthesis of mesoporous silica supports

-Functionalization of materials with molecular machines

-Luminescence spectroscopy to monitor operation of machines

Students Involved: Tania Guardado, Melissa Russell, Derrick Tarn, Min Xue, Ivy Dong, Angela Hwang

COMPOUNDS FOR MOLECULAR MOTION AS A STATE VARIABLE

-Synthesis of organic ligands and organometallic compounds

-Electrochemical and photochemical geometry changes

-Immobilization of molecules on silica particles and doped silicon wafers

-SSNMR, EPR, absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy

Students Involved: Sanaz Kabehie (former graduate student), collaborative research with electrical engineers to study the conductive properties of these compounds on solid supports

HIGHLY DISTORTED AND COUPLED EXCITED STATES

PHOTOFRAGMENTATION AND PHOTODEPOSITION

-Electronic and resonance Raman measurements

-Excited state geometry changes

-Time-dependent theory of spectroscopy

Students Involved: Matt Kiesz, Janie Chen

-Mass Selected Resonance Enhanced Multi-Photon Ionization (REMPI-MS) Spectroscopy

-Wavelength-dependent photochemistry

-Fragmentation pathways monitored by ion yield and fragment luminescence

BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICITY OF NANOPARTICLES

Description

Student(s) Involved: Dr. Zhaoxia Ji

BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS OF MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES

-Light-activated nanomachines for on-demand drug release in cancer cels

-Folate modification of silica nanoparticles for targeting cancer cells, and delivery of hydrophobic cancer cells

Student(s) Involved: Zongxi Li, Courtney Thomas, Min Xue