Our group is fundamentally interested in the design of a series of novel multi-functional nanoscale systems, using diverse chemical strategies. Such a multi-functional material often possesses unique catalytic and optoelectronic properties that are distinctive from and at times, superior to those of its individual constituent components. In essence, our hope and expectation is that chemical synthesis can be used to tune and tailor structure – property correlations.

X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs) produce high intensity X-rays with attosecond pulse durations by “undulating” an electron beam at high speeds. The generation of these X-ray pulses allow for Attosecond Pump-Probe Spectroscopy to be used on dilute, gas phase samples. However, XFELs have a problem with shot to shot spectral variation, and due to this, they are not well suited to absorption measurements.

Six graduate students from the UGA Department of Chemistry have been named recipients of the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for 2021. The UGA Center for Teaching and Learning administers the Outstanding Teaching Assistant (OTA) award, sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction. This award recognizes teaching assistants who demonstrate superior teaching skills while serving in the classroom or laboratory.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) recently spotlighted the distinguished career of UGA Chemistry professor Gregory H. Robinson in its Axial publication. The article is part of a series "highlighting noteworthy African American chemists working today, engaging them in conversation about their life and work." Dr. Robinson speaks about his work, his early interest in chemistry and his mentors, the mindset of a successful chemist, and the environment for African American researchers in the field today.

Daphniphyllum alkaloids have a rich history dating back to the isolation of Daphniphyllum macropodum Miquel in 1909 by Yagi.¹ Pioneering work in the 1960s by Hirata and colleagues resulted in the isolation of daphniphylline and yuzurimine alkaloids, and subsequently, a total of over 330 Daphniphyllum alkaloids have been reported from the Daphniphyllum genus.^2-5 In view of their intriguing biological activities including anti-cancer and  anti-HIV

Over the past few decades, photoredox catalysis has emerged as a powerful tool for new bond formation. Acting as an oxidant or a reductant, an excited-state metal complex can generate reactive radical intermediates via a single-electron transfer process. The most commonly used transition-metal photocatalysts are ruthenium or iridium complexes. Our group has utilized chromium(III) complexes in a variety of different photoredox transformations.

Electrolysis in synthetic organic chemistry has a rich history dating back to the 19th century. Many advances have been done with the use of electrolysis in the past, e.g. Kolbe’s decarboxylative dimerization, ¹ Tafel’s electrolytic rearrangement, ² Simmons’s C-H fluorination.³ Since then the popularity of the electrolysis in synthetic organic chemistry has drastically decreased.