• heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry of mineral dust and its components – carbonates, clays and oxides
• mineral dust and its impact on global process including climate and ocean biogeochemical cycles– the role of chemistry
• surface science of environmental interfaces
• applications and implications of nanoscience and nanotechnology in environmental processes

• Inorganic photochemistry, charge transfer excited states, photoinduced electron transfer
• Photoelectrochemistry, solar energy conversion
• Environmental interfaces and photoctalysis
• Nanostructured materials functionalized with molecular compounds for applications in environmental science and energy conversion

• Novel electrocatalysts for fuel cell applications
• Nanometric building blocks, devices and molecular electronics
• Cathodes for high performance Li⁺ batteries
• Organic LED’s
• Minority issues in graduate education

Computer Aided Molecular Design, applications to …

• Environmentally benign solvent design
• Environmentally benign refrigerant design
• Organometallic catalyst design

• Studies of intermolecular forces in small molecular clusters.
• Improvement and validation of current computational methodologies.
• Development of new theoretical methods to enable accurate computations on large nanoparticles.
• Theory and modeling of real liquid fuels.
• Creation of software infrastructure to facilitate collaborative, multi-scale chemical research.

• Photochemistry of transition-metal complexes.
• Kinetics of homogeneous and heterogeneous electron-transfer reactions.
• Passivation of semiconductor surfaces.
• Solar conversion, artificial photosynthesis.
• Chemical Vapor sensing.

• solvent-free chemical processes - reactions in the melt, in transient liquids and solid-to-solid reactions
• Synthesis of specialty chemicals - organic structures with adjacent stereogenic quaternary centers - the generation of chirality
• photo[organic]synthesis in chemical processes
• solid state reactivity as an entry to functional nano- and macroscopic materials

• Removal of toxic heavy metals from the environment using phytoremediation/phytofiltration
• Novel methods for the bio-synthesis of metal nanoparticles with living and non-living plants
• Biochemical studies of the interaction of heavy metals with living plants  --- proteomics/genomics
• Applications of spectroscopic techniques (XAS, ICP, LA-HPLC-ICP-MS) in environmental analysis
• Applications of metal nanoparticles for water treatment, production of fuel cells, and in medicine.
• Biofortification of vegetables to supply nutrients for the  treatment of clinical disorders.

• Development of new NMR methods for studying environmentally-relevant processes of materials:  iron oxides and anion exchangers
• Studies of structure and function of electrodes for lithium-ion batteries
• NMR studies of ionic conductivity mechanisms in membranes for solid oxide fuel cells and separations
• NMR studies of catalyst structure and activity

• nanoparticle synthesis, functionalization and assembly - toward multifunctional materials and devices
• greener nanomaterials and nanomanufacturing approaches
• ligands and functional materials for f-block ion binding for detection and remediation
• green chemistry education - green organic chemistry lab curriculum and faculty training

• Organic synthesis and catalysis in water and other greener media
• Catalytic reactions with high atom-economy
• C-H activations for synthesis
• Utilization of renewable feedstocks for chemical synthesis

• Kinetics and mechanisms of phase transfer catalyzed reactions
• Novel solvents and surfactants – switchable/reversible ionic liquids, sulfoxides and sulfones
• Reactions in environmentally benign solvents – supercritical fluids, nearcritical water, gas-expanded liquids and ionic liquids
• Self-neutralizing in situ catalysis using nearcritical water, alkylcarbonic acids and peroxycarbonic acids to reduce waste associated with acid neutralization

• Bioelectrocatalysis of alcohols and carbohydrates for batteries and fuel cells
• Fuel bioreforming
• Alternative energy sources
• Biomimicking of cellular metabolism

• solid-state NMR spectroscopy of complex materials (zeolites, clays, glasses)
• reactive surface area in the environment
• spectroscopic understanding of structure, chemical reactions, and pollutant transport for vadose zone remediation
• applications and implications of cyber-infrastructure for environmental kinetic processes

• Enzymatic and chemical catalytic depolymerization of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin
• Preparation of nanobiomaterials from lignocellulosics
• Advanced spectroscopic characterization of biomass
• Biofuels and biochemicals from wood

• Surface reactions at laboratory surrogates for atmospheric cloud particles.
• Mechanisms of nucleation and growth of cloud particles.
• Surface functionalization and passivation of silicon nanoparticles with applications to photoluminescent and photovoltaic devices.
• Synthesis of high energy density materials based on nanoparticles.

• Chemical Biosensors
• Synthesis of Cross Selective Arrays of Polymers and Device Fabrication
• Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning
• Bioelectrochemistry
• Electroless and Electrolytic Processes

• Transition metal complex photochemistry and electrochemistry.
• Light induced energy and electron transfer reactions
• Photochemical approaches to hydrogen production.
• Development of sensors based upon fluorescence.

• First-principles quantum simulations of molecular structure, bonding, and reactivity
• Adsorption and reaction at metal and metal oxide surfaces
• Surface chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis of reactions related to energy and the environment
• Particle size, support, and environmental effects on heterogeneous catalytic activity at the nanoscale
• Catalysis related to “lean” NO_x remediation.

• First principles electronic structure and molecular dynamics simulations of surfaces and interfaces
• Titania surfaces and nanoparticles; structure-reactivity relationship
• TiO₂-based photocatalysis; doping; metal-TiO₂; composite structures
• Water splitting and H₂ production; Graetzel cells

• Synthesis, characterization, and understanding of heterogeneous catalytic chemistry at the molecular level
• Development of in-situ and operando measurements of catalytic surfaces and molecular transformations
• Structure/Function relationships in catalytic oxidation
• Development of novel, nanoscale catalyst structures

• Enzymes as practical catalysts for organic synthesis. Current efforts are focused on activated alkene and carbonyl reductions.
• Smart, self-disassembling nanostructures for drug delivery and chemical synthesis.
• Understanding a key enzyme in starch biosynthesis to improve cereal economic value.

• Material-efficient chemical manufacturing and reaction processes: Higher yields, fewer steps, better catalysts (more selective, longer-lived)
• New materials platforms better suited to renewable feedstocks
• Energy-efficient chemical transformations: Maximally efficient hydrogen storage and utilization; “chemistry for energy storage”
• LANL work in fossil energy and carbon sequestration

• Meeting measurement challenges in support of studies of biological and environmental systems: e.g.
• Arsenic: PTW, ground water, soil
• Selenium: nutritional supplements, phytoremediation, plants
• Speciation in complex matrices
• Integrating research with teaching and learning by UG and middle school students

• Area: Geo-environmental chemistry
• How do elements and compounds cycle through natural environments? (sustainable = steady state)
• How are human activities changing those cycles and which effects should worry us most?
• My emphasis: Photochemistry/free radical reactions in aquatic environments
• Biogeochemistry of metals
• Fate of organic contaminants

• Surface and interfacial chemistry.
• Catalysis and future energy security.
• Integrating basic research with targeted research.

• Refining – Health, Safety & Environment
• Community-Right-to-Know
• Spill & Emergency Planning
• Air Emissions & Permitting
• Environmental Remediation
• Research and Development