Brian Benicewicz
"We design and synthesize new functional polymers to study structure-property relationships in polymer nanocomposites and fuel cell-membrane applications."
The research interests of the organic chemistry faculty include organic synthesis, physical organic, polymer, supramolecular, and bio-organic chemistries.
"We design and synthesize new functional polymers to study structure-property relationships in polymer nanocomposites and fuel cell-membrane applications."
My group's research is focused on developing an electroanalytical toolbox for in-depth analysis of electrocatalytic process and the interplay of reactivity and surface chemistry in three main projects: (1) electrochemical decontamination of persistent environmental pollutants, (2) electrosynthesis of ammonia and urea from nitrate, and (3) electrosynthesis of small organic molecules.
"Our research is centered on supramolecular organic and organometallic chemistries. More specifically, we are using boronic acids to assemble new polymeric networks, and conjugated polymers as sensors in biological assays."
"Our research is focused on mining microbial genomes to discover drug leads, biosynthetic pathways, and new enzyme biocatalysts. We employ an interdisciplinary approach combining organic chemistry, natural products chemistry, biochemical analysis, metabolomics, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology."
“We develop new catalysts and reagents for synthetic chemistry. We leverage the use of redox-active functional groups for sustainable organocatalysis with earth-abundant elements for the synthesis of complex organic molecules”
"We make molecular devices such a molecular rotors, switches, and balances. One application for the devices is to measure weak non-covalent interactions. We also make molecularly-imprinted polymers for sensing and separation applications."
"We utilize self-assembling macrocycles to form homogeneous structurally tunable materials with simple 1-dimensional channels. These functional materials are used to probe chemical reactions, to organize photosensitizers and to study molecular transport."
"We design photoswitches, artificial biomimetic systems, and materials for sustainable energy conversion based on porous graphitic frameworks."
"We are developing new polymer-based methods to control the fabrication of advanced nanomaterials. Our work spans from molecules to devices where the novel material chemistries we develop are taken from concept through to functioning devices such as fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, photovoltaics, and solar fuels."
"We focus on the synthesis of advanced functional polymeric materials, including sustainable chemicals and polymers from biomass, organometallics and metallopolymers, and polymers for biomedical applications, and energy storage."
"We design transition metal catalysts and catalytic methodologies for small molecule activations. The group focuses on transformation of organic molecules using molecular nickel and palladium catalysts. These transformations include C–C and C–heteroatom cross-couplings, deoxygenation of biomass, and C–H bond activation."
"Our research is focused on bioconjugation chemistry and biomaterials development. We are exploring novel synthetic and biological methods in order to create materials and functionalities at the nanometer scale."
“The Wiskur research group is interested in the fundamentals of how reactions work, from what forces drive intermolecular interactions between substrates and catalysts to how microenvironments around reaction sites affect reaction outcomes. We are physical organic chemists applying our knowledge to the world of asymmetric chemistry.”