Research Highlights
Hadt Lab
Ultrafast Photophysics of Ni(I)–Bipyridine Halide Complexes: Spanning the Marcus Normal and Inverted Regimes
Owing to their light-harvesting properties, nickel–bipyridine (bpy) complexes have found wide use in metallaphotoredox cross-coupling reactions. Key to these transformations are Ni(I)–bpy halide intermediates that absorb a significant fraction of light at relevant cross-coupling reaction irradiation wavelengths. Herein, we report ultrafast transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy on a library of eight Ni(I)–bpy halide complexes, the first such characterization of any Ni(I) species.
Manthiram Lab
Electrifying Hydroformylation Catalysts Exposes Voltage-Driven C–C Bond Formation
Electrochemical reactions can access a significant range of driving forces under operationally mild conditions and are thus envisioned to play a key role in decarbonizing chemical manufacturing. However, many reactions with well-established thermochemical precedents remain difficult to achieve electrochemically. For example, hydroformylation (thermo-HFN) is an industrially important reaction that couples olefins and carbon monoxide (CO) to make aldehydes. However, the electrochemical analogue of hydroformylation (electro-HFN), which uses protons and electrons instead of hydrogen gas, represents a complex C–C bond-forming reaction that is difficult to achieve at heterogeneous electrocatalysts. In this work, we import Rh-based thermo-HFN catalysts onto electrode surfaces to unlock electro-HFN reactivity.
Shapiro Lab
Functional ultrasound imaging of human brain activity through an acoustically transparent cranial window
Visualization of human brain activity is crucial for understanding normal and aberrant brain function. Currently available neural activity recording methods are highly invasive, have low sensitivity, and cannot be conducted outside of an operating room. Functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) is an emerging technique that offers sensitive, large-scale, high-resolution neural imaging; however, fUSI cannot be performed through the adult human skull. Here, we used a polymeric skull replacement material to create an acoustic window compatible with fUSI to monitor adult human brain activity in a single individual.