Chemistry Research Day 2021 | Department of Chemistry

Chemistry Research Day - Friday, October 29th

A celebration of Research in Chemistry performed by graduate, undergraduate and high-school students, as well as postdoctoral fellows and staff scientists affiliated with Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Photos:

Posters/Contributors:

Chemistry Research Day - Posters/Contributors

Location:

Student Activities Center, Stony Brook University

Schedule:

Poster Session I [even numbered posters] in BALLROOM A - 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Poster Session II [odd numbered posters] in BALLROOM A - 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Reception in WHY LOBBY - 3:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Mini Symposium in AUDITORIUM - 3:15 pm - 4:45 pm

Speakers - Mini Symposium:

Thomas Allison, Associate Professor
Joint appointment, Chemistry and Physics
B. S., Cornell University, 2003
M.S., University of California at Berkeley, 2006
Ph. D., University of California, Berkeley, 2010

Imaging Electronic Structure and Electron Dynamicswith Ultrafast Time Resolution

The first image to appear in one’s mind upon hearing the word “Chemistry”might be ball-and-stick models illustrating the positions of nuclei, but ofcourse the nuclei are held in those positions by the electrons (and vice-versa).Thus the archetypal image of a molecule or a crystal might just as well be anillustration of the electronic density or an accounting of the occupied orbitals. Dynamics, such as chemical reactions or charge transfer across an interface,involve the motion of these electrons and changing the occupied orbitals. Inthis talk, I will describe recent breakthroughs in our group at Stony Brook usingtime- and angle-resolved photoemission to image electron dynamics with femtosecond time resolution. Our platform is flexible and can be applied to awide variety of systems, ranging from atomically thin semiconductors, tomolecular crystals, to so-called quantum materials with non-trivial bandtopology or strong electron correlation. I will show examples from thesemimetal graphite and the semiconductor WS_2, in both bulk and monolayer form.

Scott Laughlin, Associate Professor
B.S., Biochemistry and Philosophy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2002
Ph. D., Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, 2008
Postdoctoral research at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of
California, Berkeley, 2008-2013

Chemical Imaging and Manipulation of the Brain’sAstrocytes

The intricate patterns of neural connectivity that underlie brain function areobscured by the brain’s complexity and a lack of imaging methods. Indeed,there are currently no available methods for visualizing neuron-to-astrocyteconnectivity at the tripartite synapse, where astrocytes modulate synapticactivity through the release of gliotransmitters. Here we describe a class ofchemical probes that allow imaging and manipulation of astrocytes and their interactions with neurons.

Amy C. Marschilok, Associate Professor
B.A., University at Buffalo (UB), magna cum laude , chemistry major, english minor
Ph.D., University at Buffalo (UB)

Electrochemistry-Based and -Coupled Characterizationof Energy Storage Materials

Electrochemical energy storage systems (batteries) are ubiquitous in our everyday lives and often appear as black boxes. However, the chemistry inherent to their function is diverse and complicated. This presentation will highlight examples of electrochemistry-based and electrochemistry-coupled haracterization of energy storage materials.

Ming-Yu Ngai, Associate Professor
B.S., University of Hong Kong/UC San Diego
Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin
Croucher Foundation Post-doctoral Fellow, Stanford University, 2009-2011
Post-doctoral Associate, Harvard University, 2011-2013

Molecular Editing of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are indispensable in many biological processes andhave implications in numerous diseases such as cancer, viralinfections, diabetes, and neurological disorders. Yet, selectivemodification and synthesis of carbohydrate derivatives remain asignificant challenge in organic synthesis. We recently developed a general, conceptually new editing technology to modifycarbohydrate site-selectively. Our strategy take advantage of themetalloradical reactivity of transition-metal catalysts and unique 1,2-spin-center shift (SCS) reactivity to convert readily available 1-halosugars to valuable C2-functionalized 2-deoxysugars. These reactions feature a broad substrate scope and tolerate a widerange of functional groups and complex molecular architectures, including various monosaccharides, disaccharides, and glycoconjugates of marketed drugs and natural products. Since C2-functionalized 2-deoxysugars: (i) contribute to a broad array ofbiological activities in glycoproteins and glycolipids and (ii) serveas essential constituents of numerous secondary metabolites in bacteria, including cardiac glycosides and macrolide antibiotics, our editing technology will provide a general strategy with which to modify or exchange the crucial deoxysugar structure(s), creating new chemical biology tools and therapeutics to tackle fundamental questions in glycobiology and drug discovery.