Alon Gorodetsky, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

University of California, Irvine

Speech Title:

Synthesis and Characterization of DNA-Inspired Molecular Wires

Abstract:

One-dimensional molecular wires represent idealized model systems for investigating charge transport mechanisms at the nanoscale. However, there are significant difficulties associated with the synthesis of molecular wires with precisely defined sequences, lengths, geometries, and terminal functionalities. By drawing inspiration from the structure of DNA and from automated oligonucleotide synthesis techniques, we have developed facile strategies for the covalent assembly of organic semiconductor building blocks into precisely defined one-dimensional ensembles. We have investigated the properties of these molecular wires with a suite of spectroscopic, electrochemical, and computational techniques, discovering unique emergent properties for our constructs. Such findings hold significance both for fundamentally understanding nanoscale charge transport phenomena and for the ultimate development of new types of bioelectronic and molecular electronic devices.

Bio:

Dr. Alon Gorodetsky is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of California, Irvine, with a joint appointment in the Department of Chemistry. Dr. Gorodetsky obtained dual B. S. degrees in Engineering Physics and Materials Science at Cornell University and a PhD in Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology. He subsequently completed postdoctoral work as a National Science Foundation American Competitiveness in Chemistry Fellow at Columbia University. His current research is focused on the development of biologically inspired materials for camouflage and bioelectronics applications. Dr. Gorodetsky has received several awards for his research, including the Samueli Faculty Career Development Fellowship, the Air Force Young Investigator Award, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.