Chemistry Faculty

Analytical and Physical Chemistry

Courses recently taught

Our group is interested in a number of specific systems, all of which center on the idea of molecular solvation. We are focusing on projects that aim to determine the 1) response of hydrophiles to entrapment within microheterogeneous media (e.g., reverse micelles); 2) conformational changes in proteins at polymer surfaces; 3) solvation behavior in room-temperature ionic liquids and mixed ionic liquid/solvent systems; 4) application of supercritical fluid technology to green solvent development. More...

To study these systems we use static and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Through a recent grant from the NSF - Major Research Instruments - we purchased a frequency-domain phase-modulation upgrade for our steady-state instrument.

We have also been working on a collaborative Biology/Chemistry Interface project funded by the Merck AAAS Program. Chemistry Faculty (Heitz, Hoffmann, Logan) and Biology Faculty (Cook, Rich, and Sia) formed teams of two to work with undergraduates on four projects. See brief descriptions of these projects.

Representative Publications

James W. Hutchings, Kristina L. Fuller, Mark P. Heitz, Markus M. Hoffmann, “Surprisingly High Solubility of the Ionic Liquid Trihexyltetradecylphosphonium Chloride in Dense Carbon Dioxide”, Green Chem. 2005, 6, 475-478.

N. Ito, S. Arzhantsev, M. Heitz*, and M. Maroncelli*, “Solvation Dynamics of Coumarin 153 in Alkylphosphonium Ionic Liquids” , J. Phys. Chem. B., 2004 , 108, 5771-5777.

S. Arzhantsev, N. Ito, M. Heitz*, and M. Maroncelli*, “Solvation Dynamics of Coumarin 153 in Several Classes of Ionic Liquids: Cation Dependence of the Ultrafast Component”, Chem. Phys. Lett. 2003 , 381, 278-286.

M.M. Hoffmann* M.P. Heitz* J.B. Carr, J.D. Tubbs, “Surfactants in Green Solvent Systems – Current and Future Research Directions”, J. Disp. Sci. Tech.2003, 24(2), 155-171.