Event

Northwestern University 

Mechanism-guided discovery of photocontrolled materials and reactions

Julia A. Kalow

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201 USA

jkalow@northwestern.edu

https://sites.northwestern.edu/kalowlab/

The Kalow lab interrogates and exploits the relationship between molecular reactivity and macroscopic properties to discover polymeric materials relevant to human health and sustainability. We approach “reactivity-property” relationships bidirectionally: in reactivity-directed materials discovery, we use synthesis and physical organic chemistry to control reactions occurring within polymer networks composed of reversible covalent bonds. We translate changes in reactivity into macroscopic responses, ranging from recyclability in elastomers to photocontrolled stiffness in adaptable hydrogels. In properties-directed reaction discovery, we design photochemical reaction mechanisms that target desirable photophysical properties. Based on this principle, we have discovered a catalyst-free photopolymerization to produce n-type π-conjugated polymers, and a selective photoinduced cross-coupling of polyhalogenated dyes. Across these projects, light provides precise, tunable, and noninvasive spatiotemporal control over molecular reactivity.

Bio: Julia’s research goal is the development of strategies to control the synthesis and properties of polymeric materials with light. Her group’s work has been recognized with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award, a NSF CAREER award, the Sloan Research Fellowship, and the ACS Award in Pure Chemistry. She obtained her BA at Columbia University in 2008, where she studied chemistry and creative writing, then pursued graduate studies at Princeton University under the supervision of Prof. Abigail Doyle. After completing her PhD in 2013, she was a postdoctoral fellow at MIT with Prof. Timothy Swager. She started her independent career at Northwestern’s Department of Chemistry in July 2016.

Research Statement

The Kalow group engages in research at the interface of organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, and materials science through two distinct approaches: materials-inspired reaction discovery and reactivity-driven materials discovery. In the first, we develop new synthetic transformations that provide control over the molecular structure of 1- and 2-dimensional organic polymers. In the second, we use our knowledge of organic reactivity to tune the properties and functions of soft materials. These efforts enable the study of structure-property relationships and materials optimization for targeted applications, including optoelectronics, sustainable polymers, and biomaterials. Projects in the Kalow lab provide trainees with experience in method development, polymer synthesis, mechanistic analysis, and materials characterization and testing.

https://chemistry.northwestern.edu/people/core-faculty/profiles/julia-kalow.html

Host Dr. Dirk Trauner