MSW's Research Interests

 

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Selected Highlights of Scientific Achievements

The group’s expertise spans the areas of photochemistry, electrochemistry, radical ion chemistry and materials science.  This diversity places us among only a handful of researchers world wide with this "toolbox" and rather unique within the context of the Canadian science.  These tools have allowed us to make significant research contributions that have greatly influenced the understanding of the mode of action of biologically relevant molecules and in materials science.
 

  • We were among the first to introduce the idea of non-adiabatic dissociative electron transfer with endoperoxides and test it experimentally while providing a theoretical framework to test the theories of dissociative ET.  Our work lays the foundation for a new avenue of chemistry that we continue to build on.  
  • Our work has established our experimental methodology and provides the first accurate values of the dissociative reduction potential of the O-O bond and other thermochemical values in a class of molecules that are key to chemists and biochemists interested in the mode of action of the prostaglandin endoperoxide and endoperoxides used as anti-malarial agents.
  • Established methodology to study the reaction dynamics of distonic radical ions.
  • Established a program aimed at using photochemical reactions to probe interfacial reactivity of organic substrates self-assembled on metal surfaces.  The work is providing valuable information on understanding the interactions of molecules on metal surfaces.  We are now demonstrating the generality of the photoprocesses for derivatization with important fundamental and practical applications for material manufacturing.
  • Extended the methodology of the photochemistry of long chain self-assembled monolayers to small molecules on metal surfaces.  We show that reactive intermediates can be generated (and are stable) and studied on these surfaces.  Our approach provides information on the organization in these environments and knowledge of the reactivity of these intermediates at the interface, which allow for their exploitation for functionalisation. 
  • Discovered and developed the use of hyperbaric conditions for the efficient modification of monolayer protected metal nanoparticles.

 

The research in the group is inherently multidisciplinary and students gain experience with the principles and techniques used in the areas of physical-organic chemistry, organic electrochemistry, organic photochemistry and photophysics and aspects of materials chemistry. During the course of any project a student will also gain some experience in synthetic chemistry and become experts in more traditional analytical and spectroscopic techniques, such as NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Uv-vis absorption spectroscopy, Mass spectroscopy, gas chromatography, HPLC, etc. Additionally, experience will be gained in materials characterization methods including TEM, TGA, DSC, surface IR etc.

 

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Contact

Mark S. Workentin, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry
T: (519) 661-2111 (86319)
E: mworkent@uwo.ca

Department of Chemisty
The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, Canada
N6A 5B7