Research Areas in The Engel Group at The University of Chicago
Primary Research Directions
The Engel Group chooses problems at the interface of theory and experiment where we can test our understanding of excited state dynamics. We look for new design principles to control chemical reactivity, and we often find our inspiration in biological systems. We create new spectrometers of our own design to reveal new dynamics and new organizing principles for steering chemical reactivity. We approach our problems through a careful balance of synthesis, spectroscopy, theory, and biophysics.
Recent Publications
W. Zhen, D.W. Kang, Y. Fan, Z. Wang, T. Germanas, G.T. Nash, Q. Shen, R. Leech, J. Li, G.S. Engel, R.R. Weichselbaum, and W. Lin, "Simultaneous Protonation and Metalation of a Porphyrin Covalent Organic Framework Enhance Photodynamic Therapy", JACS ASAP
E. Fresch, F.V.A. Camargo, Q. Shen, C.C. Bellora, T. Pullerits, G.S. Engel, G. Cerullo, and E. Collini, "Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy", Nature Reviews Methods Primers 3 84 2023.
I. Avdic, L.M. Sager-Smith, I. Ghosh, O.C. Wedig, J.S. Higgins, G.S. Engel, and D.A. Mazziotti, "Quantum sensing using multi-qubit quantum systems and the Pauli polytope", Phys. Rev. Research 5, 043097 2023.
S. Sohoni, L.T. Lloyd, A. Hitchcock, C. MacGregor-Chatwin, A. Iwanicki, I. Ghosh, Q. Shen, C.N. Hunter, and G.S. Engel, "The Phycobilisome's Exciton Transfer Efficiency Relies on an Energetic Funnel Driven by Chromophore-Linker Protein Interactions", JACS 145, 11659–11668 2023.
G. Lin, G.T. Nash, T. Luo, I. Ghosh, S. Sohoni, A.J. Christofferson, G. Liu, G.S. Engel, W. Lin, "Two-Dimensional Nanosonosensitizers Facilitate Energy Transfer to Enhance Sonodynamic Therapy", Advanced Materials, 35, 2212069 2023.
J.S. Higgins, A.R. Dardia, C.J. Ndife, L.T. Lloyd, E.M. Bain, and G.S. Engel, "Leveraging Dynamical Symmetries in Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectra to Extract Population Transfer Pathways", J. Phys. Chem. A 126 3594–3603 2022.
J.S. Higgins,* M.A. Allodi,* L.T. Lloyd, J.P. Otto, S.H. Sohail, R.G. Saer, R.E. Wood, S.C. Massey, P.-C. Ting, R.E. Blankenship, G.S. Engel, "Redox conditions correlated with vibronic coupling modulate quantum beats in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes", PNAS 118 e2112817118 2021.
J.S. Higgins, W.R. Hollingsworth, L.T. Lloyd, and G.S. Engel, "Quantum Coherence in Chemical and Photobiological Systems", Emerging Trends in Chemical Applications of Lasers, ACS Symposium Series #1398, Edited by M.R. Berman, L. Young, and H.-L. Dai, ACS Books 2021.
M. Onizhuk,* S. Sohoni,* G.A. Galli, and G.S. Engel, "Spatial Patterns of Light-harvesting Antenna Complex Arrangements Tune the Transfer-to-trap Efficiency of Excitons in Purple Bacteria", JPCL 12, 6967−6973 2021
Our Affiliations
Our Funding
