Michael T. Colvin

Northwestern University
2190 Campus Drive
Ryan Hall 2025
Evanston, IL 60208-3113

E-mail: m-colvin@northwestern.edu

Ph: (847) 491-4409

Education

B. S. in Chemistry from Canisius College (2006)
2006– 2011(expected)
Ph. D., Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Publications

Colvin, M. T.; Kozik, M.; Szczepankiewicz, S. H.; J. Phys. Chem. B, 2006, 110, 10576-10580.

Dinan, F. J.; Szczepankiewicz, S. H.; Carnahan, M.; Colvin, M. T.; J. Chem. Ed., 2007, 84(4), 617-618.

Research:

I employ Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) to investigate events that occur after charge separation. After charge separation a radical pair is generated. The radical pair is initially in a singlet configuration (S=0), but evolves to the triplet configuration (S=1) through Radical Pair Intersystem Crossing. In many of our systems recombination to the local triplet occurs. Due to the anisotropy of the triplet this can only be observed in frozen solutions or liquid crystals.

I am currently investigating the charge and spin dynamics of a series of molecules designed to be inherently liquid crystalline. We may be able to align these molecules in a magnetic field. It is our hope that by orienting these systems charges will be free to migrate from one molecule to the next, extending the charge separated distance and the lifetime.